The Five-hundred Year Difference
by SmedTheVagabond
Summary: Kagome wakes in a hospital, only to find out she's been in a coma for two months. Questions start buzzing around in her head. Why is she there? Why is she so confused? And who's the mysterious stranger that visits her in the middle of the night? Everything is forgotten when a strange new boy arrives at her school. Why does her seem so familiar? And how does he know her name?
1. Story Preview

**・The Five-Hundred Year Difference ****・**

| _A Inuyasha FanFiction |**  
**_

**Full Summary:**

Kagome Higurashi wakes in a hospital, only to find out she's been in a coma for two months. Questions naturally start buzzing around in her head. Why is she there? Why is she so confused? Why does she feel empty? And who's the mysterious stranger that visits her in the middle of the night? However everything is forgotten when a strange new boy enrolls at her school. Why does her seem so familiar? And how does he know her name?

_**Author: **_SmedTheVagabond

_**Beta:** GoldenEyedRamenLover _&_ YourGoldenEyes_

**Disclaimer: **_  
_

I do not own Inuyasha or any characters from _Inuyasha _or _Inuyasha; The Final Act_. Romiko Takahashi has that pleasure. Ahh reality, thou art a heartless bitch.

_** Authors Note:**_

Hello people of the internet who love Inuyasha Fan-Fiction as much as me. Welcome to my story. Before I start, however, I would like to properly introduce myself. My name is SmedTheVagabond or Smed for short and I'm a new author to Fan-Fiction. While I have never actually written a story of my very own and have never really published any of my own stories, I have read many; far to many to count.

Anyways, now that we've met, I would like to proudly announce that I'm here with a brand new Inuyasha Fan-Fic. I am overly excited to start this new journey and I hope all you lovely reader's out there over the inter-webs will stick with me through the whole process.

This story was inspired by episode sixty-two of _Inuyasha _when Tsubaki casts that evil spell on Kagome and she forgets about Inuyasha and the gang for a little while. I was watching that episode late on night and it was one of those things where the story just magically pops into your head all of a sudden.

I honestly don't know how long this story will be. I have it all planned out in my head, but I'm not sure how long that will take. I'm planning on at least Twenty to Twenty-five chapters. Probably even more.

I wrote a preview for the story to see the reaction from my readers. I want to know if I should continue. If nobody likes it and nobody wants to read it, I don't want to continue with it.

So, without further ado, I present for you ladies and gentlemen (mostly ladies) The Five-Hundred Year Difference. I hope you enjoy!

_-Smed_

**・・・・**

_This preview is a bit confusing I know, but trust me when I say it will all be __explained in due time. _

_Alright then. Carry on all of you little Cottonheadedninnymuggins. Carry on._

* * *

**Story Preview: The Death**

It was like drifting in suspended space. Or floating in water. Dark water with no beginning and no end. Though it wasn't water at all. It was...the end. Or what she supposed was the end. The ending to a beautiful journey.

This was it.

Unavoidable darkness continued it's onslaught; enveloping her completely, sending Kagome and her already fatigued mind into a deep state of utter confusion and uncertainty. A million questions bursting inside her all at once. Where was she? Why was it so dark all of a sudden? Where had she been before the darkness had consumed her?

These questions, followed by many more, went unanswered. The only thing she was positive about was the small nagging feeling in the recesses of her brain. It urged her - no _demanded _her to remember….Remember something she couldn't properly grasp with her mind strings.

The color crimson suddenly danced before her eyes, shortly followed by a distinct streak of silver and a flicker of gold, momentarily surrounding her with a unknown warmth and serenity.

The bright color's flashed vividly beneath her eyelids and she reached out a hand to touch the familiar shades, to hold them close to her heart. But all she caught was empty nothingness. The colors faded all too quickly and she was consumed by utter darkness once more.

_What was that? _she wondered idly. Moreover why did those colors feel so…comforting to her? Familiar?

Again her mental questions went unanswered as she continued to let the obscuring darkness entrap her in its inky web. She didn't fight or resist it. She was the darkness's willing victim.

Why? She didn't know.

What little she _did _know was slowly fading away; something to do with a...pink pearl? A gem? Something about four souls? Like that made any sense.

She was trying to get away and escape from something. Or rather _someone._

"Kagome don't leave me!"A sudden voice, a gruff voice that was just as surprisingly comforting as the colors she'd seen, somewhere in the unending darkness called, pleading. "Don't go!" She opened her mouth to reply to this but no words came, only a garbled sound that resonated from the back of her throat, vibrating through her chest. "DON'T LEAVE ME, DAMN IT! KAGOME!"

She wanted to answer the all to familiar voice but still her vocal cords refused to cooperate. _I'm sorry_, she thought solemnly, unable to answer the person aloud. _I have to go. _Her response was a still quietness as the voice faded away.

All of it was surprisingly peaceful. The outside world around her was hushed, quiet, and everything slowed into a calming rhythm of nothingness. It was like a very surreal dream that she just happened to be immersed in.

She didn't even flinch as she felt her lunges begin to collapse - her heart beginning to slow dangerously as oxygen wasn't circulating through her blood anymore.

_So, _her mind mused, coming to the impending conclusion. _T__his is what it feels like to die. Its...peaceful._

And it was. Her death was a peaceful one.

* * *

**A/N: **

_So what did you think? Good? Bad? Fantastic? Horrible? Im sorry it was short but I couldn't __give too much away. _

_Well if you liked it let me know! I'd love to see what ya'll think so far. And if you didn't like it...well then...this conversation just got awkward._

_Anyways this preview is a little confusing, I know. Its supposed to be that way though. I want you to be confused. Confused is good. Embrace the confusion. *Congratulations!* The confusion is now your best friend._

_ I'd feel like I failed this chapter if you understood what exactly is going on. You might feel the same way about the first chapter as well. But after that, it won't be so, for lack of a better word,...weird._

_So review if you want. Tell me what you think. And if you don't, well then...Inuyasha might just have a little, shall we say,...'accident.'_

_*Rubs palms together and grins evilly.* MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!_

_Ok._

_Im done._

_Im sorry Im so weird._

_I cain't help it._

_Its hereditary._

Next Up:

_Chapter 1. Dying is Peaceful. Its Coming Back That Hurts Like Hell_

_-Smed_

_**・・・・**_


	2. Chapter 1

**・The Five-Hundred Year Difference****・**

| _A Inuyasha FanFiction |**  
**_

**Full Summary:**

Kagome Higurashi wakes in a hospital, only to find out she's been in a coma for two months. Questions naturally start buzzing around in her head. Why is she there? Why is she so confused? And who's the mysterious stranger that visits her in the middle of the night? But everything is forgotten when a strange new boy arrives at her school. Why does her seem so familiar? And how does he know her name?

**_Author: _**SmedTheVagabond

**_Beta:_**_ GoldenEyedRamenLover _&_ YourGoldenEyes_

**_AuthorsNote:_**

_Well hi there. You came back for more, didja? Well in that case, ten Glory points and a virtual hug for you for being so brave my little dumplings. _

_ Im actually very pleased with the handful of reviews I've received. Like I'd expected, some of you were a confused (more then others) but thats alright. The preview was supposed to pretty much make you say WTF and be all confused._

_Well good! Im glad your confused. That means I did my job right._

___Any-who, t_his chapter is pretty much self explanatory. It wont cure your confusion, but It will give you a feeling of whats happened. _In fact, you can pretty much forget about the preview chapter. It really has no meaning in these upcoming chapters anyway._

_Alright then. Ill stop stalling and let you read. _

_*Hides from rotten fruit and vegetables I know will be hurled and catapulted at my head.*_

_-Smed_

_**・****・****・****・**_

_Review all you stingy, lazy folk. Review I say! I command you all! _

* * *

**Chapter 1. Dying is Peaceful. Its Coming Back That Hurts Like Hell**

Her body, she realized suddenly as she was abruptly woken from a dream, was being jostled from side to side. Being pushed, prodded and poked uncomfortably. Unfamiliar hands were everywhere pinching her sensitive skin; grabbing at her arms, head and legs. Everywhere, sending streaks of torturous pain up and down her limbs.

Kagome's chest ached with a tender pain that filled her body to the brim. She took a deep inhale to relive some of the discomfort and winced as a sharp pain sliced through, what felt like, her lungs.

Her mouth opened in a silent, agonizing scream as she felt her body twist and convulse reflexively to the pain as it doubled. Her skin burned with an intense scalding heat that inched its way up her neck like a spreading wild fire.

Words and voices were spoken frantically all around her head, yelling words and phrases she didn't understand. All of them, muffled. She sensed the distinct feeling of people moving around frantically, speaking in loud frenzied voices, alerting her auditory senses on top of everything else.

Undefinable noises clicked and beeped. Sirens blared loudly, assaulting her ears. But despite all of this, she didn't dare open her eyes. If anything, she squeezed her eyelids even tighter together.

"Page Dr. Sutshi! Stat!" Someone yelled somewhere near by.

Rapid thoughts and questions bounced around in her head, rattling in her brain. She couldn't focus on one particular noise, feeling or sensation. Everything was too chaotic.

Abruptly, Kagome was lifted and shifted mid-air, as though she weighed as much as a mere dove's feather. Her body was gently placed back down on something soft.

Then, the distinct sensation of motion.

Her brow furrowed, her eyes still clamped shut. She was being…pushed? Wheeled somewhere? Whatever she was lying on was moving. And fast. The distinct swing and sway as she was rounded around corner's and or obstacles made her queasy. She gulped, swallowing down the strong urge to vomit.

Her eyelids fluttered heavily, an uncontrollable groan escaping past her numb lips. Everything was too bright and far to loud.

She cringed at the overwhelming sensations, pushing herself deeper into the the plush substance underneath her heavy limbs, trying to escape and flee the hellish nightmare she'd had somehow found herself in.

Riding on a high adrenaline rush, she risked a peek out underneath thick eyelashes and squinted automatically as fluorescent light's burned into her retinas. Vaguely, Kagome made out that she was riding on some type of mobile bed that had side guard rails on the sides.

_How...weird,_ she mused mutely, letting her eyes slip shut again.

"Get her to the OR. Now!" Someone commanded loudly from somewhere close behind her. The shuffling sound of squeaky sneaker's on waxed flooring pierced the air. "OR Two!" The voice yelled again. A mans, Kagome realized idly.

Out of bizarre curiosity, she craned her neck and lifted her chin, prying her eyes open so she could peer at the figure running behind her. Kagome's vision was foggy and very unclear and all she could really make out was the dark shadowy outline of a person. A man.

Suddenly, when she thought it all couldn't get much worse then that, the excruciating pain was back. And with a vengeance. It filled her whole chest with a staggering flare that burned at her insides. Her eyes snapped shut and she let out a deafening scream that was ripped from her throat. Somewhere next to her, a monotone alarm sounded simultaneously with her screeching and everything came to a crashing halt - the motion and the loud footsteps behind her ceasing.

There was a deafening silence that stretched on far too long - save for the shrill sound of the alarm and her shrieking.

Then the man cussed loudly, breaking the pause in activity and sending everything into a chaotic frenzy once more. "Hurry! We're losing her!"

Loud foot steps and voices resumed.

Kagome's eyes opened and light filled her blurred vision. And weather it be from the confusing and hectic situation, she didn't care nor did she fight it off. She welcomed it graciously.

The loud noises and voices from before dulled, becoming more and more muffled as she began to black out. A calm washed over her like an ocean wave crashing against a rocky shore. Despite herself and the gut-wrenching pain, Kagome smiled.

Everything muddled to black nothingness.

-:-:-:-:-

**・**Two Months Later******・**

A sharp pinch followed by a rush of warmth in her right arm was what woke Kagome, forcibly rousing her from her dreams and the darkness that had surrounded her for some time.

_Beep. Beep. _

Head throbbing fiercely, Kagome moaned, then winced at how hoarsely raw her voice sounded. She turned her head to the side, tugging at stiff muscles in her neck.

She rubbed her eyes tiredly, but stopped when her hand brushed against something on her face. Something was resting against her upper lip and the bottom of her nose, filling her nostrils and lungs with filtered air. Keeping her eyes closed she rubbed at her temple, trying to relieve some of the continuing pain.

"Ouch," she grumbled. The simple word sounded very unlike her own voice. Her eyebrows knit together in confusion. _Why do I sound like that?_

_Beep. Beep. Beep. _

There was a shift of the thick blankets that were covering her legs and stomach. "Oh my," someone whispered suddenly, shocked. It was a woman's voice, accompanied by the sound of movement and footsteps. "Page Doctor. Sutshi! Quickly! Tell him Higurashi Kagome is conscious."

Kagome's lips pursed as she frowned, her eyes still shut. Why would her being conscious be anything to get so excited over?

One of her eyelids was unexpectedly yanked open and a bright pen-light was shined back in forth in front of her pupil. "Kagome?" She could barley make out the woman's figure as she proceeded to force Kagome's other eye open. "Kagome can you hear me?"

Kagome swallowed and then licked at her dry lips. "Y-yes. I...I can hear you." Her voice sounded rough like she'd swallowed sandpaper and was thick like cotton balls had been stuffed down her throat.

"How do you feel, dear?" The woman asked, slowly removing her hand away from Kagome's eyes as she took a timid step backward.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. _

Kagome swallowed and let her eyes flutter open. Her eyelids felt heavy like they'd been stuck together for sometime. She blinked once. Then twice, taking in the unfamiliar room she'd been situated in. Her vision blurred momentarily until her eyesight refocused and she could see clearly.

She was lying in a sterile looking bed that had side rails and a remote that was attached to the side by a long cord. Next to the head of the bed and behind the headboard Kagome noticed the machine that was beeping rhythmically, steadily in time with her heartbeat and another machine that was making a whirling, clicking noise.

The floor was tiled with white vinyl and the walls, all except one, were painted a mute beige. The only exception was an odd sliding glass door that made up a whole wall, sitting a few feet away from the foot of her bed. There were letters on the opposite side of the door so that anyone on the outside could read what they said. But it was backward for Kagome and it took her a few seconds to decipher that it read _ICU._

Kagome looked thoughtful, frustrated at how confused she was. _ICU...What does that mean?_

The strange woman shifted her weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably as Kagome continued to sweep her eyes over the room.

The woman was wearing a uniformly generic blue shirt that matched her deep blue pants and white tennis shoes. A pink stethoscope was wrapped loosely around her neck and a matching pager wresting on her hip. Black hair with soft waves barley brushed against her shoulders and her mocha-brown eyes were bright but hesitant.

"Im…Im….where am I?" Kagome whispered, ignoring the woman's question. "Am I…?"

Unease spread through the woman's features and she audibly gulped. "You're in Mooreina Hospital. Specifically the Intensive Care Unit floor. You…you've been in a comatose state for the past seven weeks."

Kagome's world slowed until it stopped completely and she blinked in confusion, wondering if she had heard the woman right. "Im sorry, what?"

Maybe she had hit her head or fallen down and was now having a dream. A dream that was terribly real and terribly frightening. Kagome nodded, convincing herself that there was a logical explanation for the situation she had somehow found herself in.

But as the woman continued to give her the same knowing and sympathetic look, she suddenly knew she _had _heard her perfectly. Heated tears began to prick at the corners of her eyes as her bottom lip began to tremble. The woman instantly moved over to her side in a comforting gesture, placing a mild hand on her shoulder.

"Im so sorry." The woman whispered softly.

Finally Kagome's tears streaked down her pale cheeks and a lone hiccup sob escaped her dry and chapped lips. No wonder she'd felt like someone had hit her in the head with a brick. She had been in a coma…. a coma for crying out loud!

"Why?" Kagome croaked, her voice wavering as tears continued to dribble down her cheeks.

Before the woman could answer her, however, a man wearing a crisp white lab coat suddenly swept his way into the room. A doctor.

The woman, a nurse Kagome suspected, shifted uncomfortably. Yet at the same time she looked relived that there had been an interruption in their tense chat.

The man was young for a physician, possibly twenty-three or twenty-four. He had short brown hair that was scraped back into small ponytail at the crown of his head. His warm hazel eyes connected with Kagome's through blurry tears and he gave her a small smile despite the fact that she probably looked like a wreck. She hastily wiped at her tears with the back of her hand and sniffed.

"Hello Kagome. How are you feeling?" He watched her with a narrowed gaze, his head cocked to the side in curiosity. His voice was deep and rich. Knowing. Moving over to the machines, he studied them closely before writing something down on a clipboard that was attached to the foot of the bed.

"I..I've been in a coma for roughly two months. How do you think Im doing?" She sneered, rolling her eyes. _What a stupid question to ask a person that's been unconscious for so long._

Kagome expected him to get upset with her for snapping at him so suddenly but the doctor merely grinned and stepped over to her bedside. "Touché."

He turned his head to the side and started murmuring quietly to the nurse and Kagome took the opportunity to take a look at his hospital ID that was pinned to the front of his supremely white coat. It read: MD Sutshi. Neurologist/ Neurosurgeon; his hospital ID photo and hospital ID number.

Kagome silently mouthed 'Neurologist' and 'Neurosurgeon,' pushing the words around on her tongue. Behind the foggy haze that was her mind, she could vaguely remember that those words had something to do with the brain.

Kagome stilled. "Is there something wrong... with...my brain?" She blurted, the words slurring their way out of her mouth.

Dr. Sutshi paused his conversation with the woman. He looked at her for a few seconds, looking like he didn't know weather to answer that question or not. But, finally he made his way over to her bed and gently eased himself down onto the foot of her bedding and fixed her a sympathetic gaze. Kagome shifted, slightly uncomfortable at having the occupants of her room staring at her like that.

"Not exactly, no." He sighed. "Our hospitals paramedic's were called to your family's shrine and they found you collapsed and unconscious outside your home. Upon being rushed into our hospitals ER, I was the first doctor paged to examine you. You suffered a stroke which lead to loss of blood and oxygen in your brain, sending you into a prolonged coma."

Kagome frowned and blinked away the tears that were threatening again. That didn't make any sense. She was a healthy seventeen-year old girl as far as she knew. The worst medical illness she had ever suffered was the occasional bad case of the sniffles.

She shook her head. "But...but why would I suffer a stroke?"

"Somewhere in your body you had a blood clot that interrupted your blood flow causing the stroke which led to the coma." He tilted his head to the side and studied her closely, making sure she was keeping up. Kagome nodded once, her foggy brain processing the information. Dr. Suikotsu offered a charming smile. "You're kind of a miracle you know though."

Kagome stared down at the small tube that was inserted directly into a pulsating vein in her right arm. "Oh?"

He inclined his head. "Usually comatose patients aren't as lucid as you are now when they wake up, if they wake up at all. Most patients lose the ability to speak and understand whats going around them. From the severity of your coma I would truly say you are a small miracle, Kagome."

Scoffing quietly, she rolled her eyes again. "Yeah."

Kagome knew there was more she wanted to ask him, something that had to do with her, but she still couldn't remember what it was. She chalked it up to the lingering effects of coma brain.

Sutshi suddenly stood and moved over to the nurse and whispered something in her ear. Kagome watched them murmur among themselves with a scowl, her hands clenching into fists tighter the longer she watched them. "Don't do that."

Dr. Sutshi turned slightly and peered at her over his shoulder. "Pardon?"

Kagome cleared her throat and attempted to straighten her spine, trying to give herself some height. But that only resulted in her unused muscles groaning defiantly, painfully, and she winced. "I said don't do that. Don't whisper. I hate when people whisper about me like that. Especially when they do it right in front of my face like Im not even there."

He nodded slowly and flashed a mild grin. "Sure thing." He turned back toward the nurse and said, without whispering, "Schedule an MRI, an EEG and a CAT scan. I want to know how her brain is responding. Though" he glanced over at Kagome, "I don't think I should worry to much." He winked and Kagome shrunk back into the bedding, trying to make herself as small as possible.

The nurse nodded obediently. "Yes doctor."

Dr. Sutshi opened the door but stopped short in the doorway to glance back at Kagome. "Ill come check on you soon. If you need anything don't hesitate to call the nurse help desk. Alright?"

She stared at him for a lingering second and then nodded once before glancing out the only window in the room. At hearing the door shut after he'd left, she sighed heavily and pushed her body deeper into the clean bedding.

The nurse began to flutter about the room like she didn't know how to stand still, fluffing the blankets, checking the noisy machine's, asking if Kagome was comfortable and then checking the machines again. Kagome watched her do all of this amusedly while simultaneously trying to think on what might have caused her coma.

The further she went back into her memory the more things got foggy and unclear. The very last thing she could remember was her mother telling her to have a good day at school before she'd headed off. She'd had a difficult math test to pass that morning and she was nervous about it. She remembered saying thank you to her before hugging her goodbye and leaving.

Everything after that was... empty space. Nothingness. Just broken fragments of suspended never ending darkness which Kagome figured must have been the time she was in her coma.

The nurse was replacing her IV fluids when the thought that had been teasing her in the shadows at the edge of her mind suddenly became crystal clear.

Her family.

"Wait!" she squawked suddenly, startling the already jumpy woman. The nurse squeaked and stumbled with the bag. Kagome tried pushing herself into a full sitting position again, but her arms were weak and only flopped uselessly against the crinkly hospital pillows. "My mom! Gramps! Souta!" She croaked. "Ha-have you called them?"

The now frazzled woman regained her footing and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Um, yes. Someone was paged to call them as soon as you woke. They are on their way as we speak."

Kagome brushed messy bangs out of her face and sighed heavily. Good. Her family was coming. Maybe that would clear up some of the unresolved internal turmoil that she'd been feeling since she woke up.

"Their coming, their coming, their coming," she whispered as a kind of reassuring mantra.

When Kagome's nurse, who she'd found out was named Koume, was finished with her other rounds that she had on the ICU floor a half an hour later, she poked her head into the room and asked Kagome if she needed to use the restroom. Considering that she had been asleep for weeks, had been constantly hydrated thanks to her IV and had been peeing into a tube, the sound of using the restroom on her own sounded like heaven.

Kagome moaned painfully as Koume lifted her sore and stiff left arm, wrapping it around her shoulder for leverage. "There we go."

She suddenly reached forward and took ahold of the plastic oxygen tube that was in Kagome's nose, removing it. She murmured a soft thank you as Koume continued to do the same with the little monitor that was attached to one of her pointer fingers. Immediately a machine began to beep wildly behind them, going haywire as Kagome's heartbeat was lost. Koume clucked her tongue and pressed a button on the noisy alarm, turning the machine off. She then proceeded to remove the tube from Kagome's arm, leaving the IV in for later use.

Koume waited patiently as Kagome swung her sluggish legs over the side of the bed and let them dangle uselessly a few inches above the floor. "Alright now I need you to try and press both feet into the floor and steady yourself before standing up. Can you do that for me?"

Kagome nodded mutely before pressing a bare foot onto the ice cold floor. Nerves that had been neglected, tingled, surging to life and she shivered unintentionally at the contact.

"Take your time," Koume crooned reassuringly. "There's no need to rush things. You're muscles have been unused for such a long time. Don't push yourself."

Kagome blinked, taking in the kind woman's words. _Don't rush. Got it._

With as much strength as she could muster (which wasn't much), Kagome straightened herself out before pressing both feet to the chilly floor and pushing down gently, easing herself upward. The whole of her body groaned and ached as she stood to her full height, using Koume as a base for her weight. Kagome's head whirled and she had to take a deep breath and close her eyes as she stood upright for the first time in two months.

Koume beamed. "There you go. Great job Kagome. Your doing wonderful."

Giving her a withering smile, Kagome pushed away the sick feeling that had suddenly overthrown her. Both of her legs were heavy, clunky, and felt like useless wet noodles. They didn't feel like her own. Her arms were stiff and ached dully while her head felt like it weighed a few hundred pounds. She swallowed down the repulsive taste of bile that suddenly lurked its way into the back of her throat and attempted to lift one foot from the ground, moving herself forward. Koume had a firm grip on her arm as she suddenly lurched toward the restroom, eager to move on her own without assistance.

"Take it easy Kagome. No need to rush."

Kagome shot her an aggravated look, wanting to tell her that she was perfectly fine and that she didn't need to worry about her so much. But the words died on the tip of her tongue as Kagome's left leg buckled out from underneath herself and she tripped, her limp body tumbling forward toward the linoleum flooring.

"Kagome!" Someone gasped, catching one free arm that Koume wasn't holding onto, steadying Kagome's swaying body. "Are you alright?"

Kagome was gripped underneath her armpits and pushed back to the bed with gentle ease. Her vision dimmed momentarily by the sudden movement and she shook her head back and forth trying to clear it.

"Kagome?"

Kagome froze when she recognized the soft voice, her head jerking up so quickly that Koume had to steady her again even though she was sitting.

Her mother smiled softly as their eyes locked. She was the one that had caught her from falling. She brought up a soft hand and cupped Kagome's surprised face gently, her brown eyes getting misty the longer she stared at daughter.

"My baby," she whimpered, rubbing her thumb across Kagome's cheekbone. "How are you feeling?"

Kagome swallowed and placed her hand on top of her mother's, searching her expression for any signs or explanations as to what happened to her and why she couldn't remember.

She found none.

"Im fine. But...Mom I...what happened?" She wondered slowly, her eyes flickering across every dip and curve in her mother's familiar face.

Mrs. Higurashi's short brown hair had grown out a little since the last time Kagome had seem her; a slight change that somehow made a huge difference. Her hair, once a short boy-cut style, was now a slight pixie-cute. But her warm and caring smile hadn't changed. Her smirk reached her eyes and Kagome whimpered at the wonderful familiarity of her presence.

Her mothers lips pursed in sadness and her eyes dimmed as if recalling a painful memory. "I don't know honey. You were perfectly fine one minuet and then the next..." Her eyes slid over to the open window as her sentence trailed.

Kagome stared at her profile as she continued to pointedly look anywhere that wasn't her daughter's face, frowning as she realized her mother had been terribly worried about her. Kagome hated making her feel that way. She must have felt so...so...helpless.

_Kind of like how I feel right now, _Kagome mused.

Kagome reached forward and captured one of her mother's hands in her own, trying to ease her face into a reassuring smile. But as soon as she caught sight of her own hand, she was scowling.

Her hand looked ridiculously skinny next to her mother's. While Mrs. Higurashi's hand was supple, pink and..._alive, _Kagome thought her hand looked like something out of a grim, macabre fairy-tail. Her fingers skinny and pointed, looked like a very old woman's, and were horribly pale, like she was on deaths doorstep. Clearly she had been sicker then she'd first thought.

Kagome stared, fixated on the frailness of her hand. For some reason she couldn't shake the complete opposite in contrast their hands were. It made her...sad.

"But...Im alright now mom." Kagome croaked, forcing out the lie and a disgustingly sweet smile.

Her mothers eyes finally turned back to her and a smile danced at the corners of her mouth. She scooted closer to Kagome on the bedding and tugged Kagome forward into a gentle hug.

But Kagome could feel her mom shaking slightly, her arms loose around her waist, as if she was afraid she would snap her own daughter into two if she squeezed too tightly. Kagome sniffed, closing her eyes and burying her nose into the crook of her neck, ignoring the sudden dulled pain in her lower back from sitting up for so long.

Her hand ran down the length of Kagomes hair from tip to root in a insanely soothing motion. "That you are Kagome. Everything's going to be alright now."

They sat there for some time, the only sound was the loud wall clock hanging above the doorway. Kagome pressed herself closer to her body, enjoying the pure warmth of her mother.

Ever so slowly though, a growing heaviness began its assault on Kagomes heart. She began to feel empty. Hallow. Like the situation wasn't complete somehow. A piece of the puzzle in her life was missing and she didn't know which piece it was exactly.

And then she realized.

Someone _else_ was supposed to be comforting her.

It wasn't like she didn't need or want her mother to take care of her, she did. Desperately. Kagome found so much solace and comfort in her mothers embrace she couldn't imagine waking up in the hospital to find that she wasn't comingto her side.

But there was somebody else that was supposed to be in her mothers place, Kagome just knew it. She didn't know how she knew, she just _knew. _It was a feeling. A sensation. Someone else was supposed to be comforting her, holding her, whispering sweet nothings into her ear and telling her everything was going to be alright. Someone else was supposed to be there, with her. Always.

Kagome blinked dazedly as her mom snuggled closer. _Who?_ She questioned her subconscious, pleading with her brain for her memory to return. _What is this feeling I have? I have my mom. She's my family...who else could there be? Who else could I possibly need?_

Someone suddenly cleared their throat.

Mrs. Higurashi glanced up and Kagome looked out from underneath her eyelashes and saw Koume standing by the doorway, her hands clasped in front of her like she was an obedient servant waiting for an order from her master.

She spoke to Mrs. Higurashi this time."Im so sorry for interrupting, but I was hoping that I could get Kagome to the bathroom sooner rather than later. She has had a pretty tiering day and I think it be best if we try again while she's still got some energy left."

Mrs. Higurashi nodded in agreement and then glanced down at her daughter, her eyes questioning, clearly asking: _Are you up for it?_

Kagome glanced down at her ugly skinny hands, wondering if it was a good idea. She _was _pretty tired...But the sound of using the restroom on her own, doing _something _on her own, sounded like just what she needed.

Kagome nodded and then pushed away from her mom gently, readying herself at the edge of the bed. Koume was at her side instantly, wrapping Kagome's arm around her neck again and waiting patently. Kagomes mother took to her other side, wrapping an arm around her waist to steady her.

Once again, Kagome put a bare foot to the floor, wincing at the chill that ran up her spine from the contact. Slowly, she pushed off from the bed and stood up straight, teetering only slightly.

"Wonderful Kagome," Koume chirped.

Mrs. Higurashi's hand on her waist tightened reassruingly. "There you go honey. You can do it."

Kagome bit her lower lip and started shuffling forward, switching her weight from her left foot to the right.

It all felt so odd; like learning how to walk all over again. She was getting reacquainted with muscles she never knew she ever had or ever needed. And Kagome felt herself becoming frustrated at having to be led across the room as though she was some little old lady.

But she stuffed down her emotions and kept going. This continued, left foot after right and so on until she had managed to walk her way across the room to the bathroom door.

Her mother was beaming and Kagome could tell Koume was just as giddy as she giggled right along with her. "You did it!" She laughed.

Despite the slightly somber situation, a slow smile found its way to Kagome lips. "Yeah. I guess...I guess I did."

They stood there smiling idiotically, waiting for Kagome to open the bathroom door, and she frowned when she realized what they thinking they were going to do.

Kagome tried to shrug them away. "Look, I can handle this part on my own. I don't need anymore help."

"Kagome-" Koume began but Kagome cut across her.

"I know you guys are only trying to help, but I have been stuck in bed for two months - _two months _- without me knowing. I've been needing help for so long I can't even stand on my own two feet without someone by my side. Let me do this. Let me sink or swim on my own."

Koume slowly let go of Kagome and Mrs. Higurashi was even more reluctant. Kagome gave them one last glance before purposely moving forward into the bathroom. Her legs grew a bit shakier as she no longer had someone to hold onto anymore. But she merely held onto the door handle and then the bathroom counter, closing the door after her with her foot.

Kagome sighed tiredly as she was finally left alone in some privacy, before flicking on the fluorescent bathroom light. She was making my way over to the toilet when she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and she froze, motionless, like a frightened deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming Semi.

The girl in the mirror blinked back at Kagome with wide, curious dark hazel brown eyes that were seemingly to big for her face. Ebony hair was tangled and matted against her head, like it was in dire need for a good brushing, and was falling limply down her shoulder blades. Ghastly pale skin hung onto her bones like a thin layer of damp paper.

She was wearing a wispy blue hospital gown that fell to her knobby knee's and her skinny legs. She appeared a little to thin, like she hadn't eaten a good meal in... well...two months. Her eyes were sunken into her skull, causing her eyelashes to appear bigger. Dark, purplish bags sat that underneath, highlighting her already sickly and sunk-in looking face. Her lips were an unnatural pinkish purple color that had Kagome wincing.

In short: The girl looked like Hell._ She_ looked like Hell.

Kagome took a step closer to the mirror, slowly reaching out a trembling hand to the girl in the reflection like she was afraid the stranger would disappear into thin air. She mimicked Kagome's actions, reaching out her own boney hand toward her own. When their finger's collided, fingertips grazing fingertips gainst the cool reflection of the glass, Kagome gasped and took an uneasy step back.

_No. No, no, no, no, no...NO! _She chanted mentally, shaking her head, willing the morbid image of the girl to go away. T_hat cain't be me! She...she cain't be me!_

Taking a steadying breath, Kagome forced herself to calm down and get a grip on herself and the situation. Panicking wasn't going to get her anywhere and her current state sure as hell wasn't going to last. That...girl _wasn't _her. And if she had any say in it, there was no way that she'd remain that way. She knew that she had to get better.

Kagome glanced up, the foreign girl in the reflecting imitating her. She stared at the depressing reflection for a long time, silently willing her to remember, urging her to know what it was that she'd lost.

A piece of herself she understood suddenly, was gone. Something wasn't...right. Everything felt off. She didn't feel like the Kagome she should have been. There was more to this coma then the doctors and she knew, or could have ever imagined. The fact was so hidden in the deepest depths of her subconscious that even Kagome was scared to go in search for whatever it was she needed to find.

Her eyes clashed with the girl in the mirror and she watched brown tears form in the reflection.

-:-:-:-:-

A trip to the bathroom and a few hours later, Kagome was transported back to her room after getting a full workup.

When she was finished using the restroom, Koume informed her that it was time to get her scheduled MRI, EEG and CAT scan. Apparently when she'd first arrived at the hospital, Kagome had been tested and it was then that a semi-vegitative state had been diagnosed.

Now, after being wheeled into her room, Kagome was situated back into bed with the generous help from Koume. She sighed as Koume slid the blankets up her body, glad that the doctors were all done with their poking and prodding of her body. They all wanted to find something wrong with her and her brain.

All of the doctors on the ICU floor seemed stumped as to why Kagome was so lucid and competent. It was very uncommon for a person to be in a coma for as long as she was and be able to come out of it with a clear head. Well...kind of a clear head. Kagome's brain was fogged and cloudy and she still couldn't properly remember what it was she desperately wanted to know. It was maddening. But Kagome kept it to herself.

"Kagome?"

Said girl's head jerked up at her mother's voice, jarring her from her thoughts. "Yeah?"

"Do you think you're up for any visitors? Or do you want some rest?"

At the mention of visitors, Kagome eased herself onto her thin elbows and eagerly looked out the door. Kagome's grandfather and little brother stood on the other side of the sliding glass wall, holding a bouquet of flowers and two balloons in their hands; a yellow smiley face balloon and another colorful one that read a cheery _Get Well Soon!_

Kagome smiled and nodded her head approvingly to her mother who had situated herself in the spare recliner on the opposite side of the room.

She stood and moved to open the door. "Come in," she beckoned quietly to the two looming in the hallway, sliding the door shut after they stepped inside the small room.

"Kagome," gramps hummed after he'd made it to her bedside, reaching out and rubbing a gentle hand across her cheek. Kagome leaned into the touch.

Kagomes little brother smiled at her. "Hey sis. Feeling any better?" Souta chirped, jumping up and practically catapulting himself onto the edge of the bed.

He handed her the bouquet and she thanked them for such a wonderfully unexpected gift before she brought it to her nose, inhaling greedily. Lilies. Her favorite. The scent invaded her nose and she moaned softly at the wonderful smell; something other then the stale hospital air.

"Im...fine," Kagome murmured, choosing the word carefully. "I feel better now that you guys are here. I missed you."

Gramps smiled and pat her leg before doing his very annoying grandfather thing; pinching her cheek. "We missed you too my little Kaggie pie. You had us all worried. But I knew you'd be just fine. Those charms I used on you while you were in your coma worked wonderfully." His chest puffed out in pride and Kagome rubbed her now sore cheek.

"You used your charms on me? Gramps..." Kagome laughed uncomfortably.

Her grandfather owned their home, a shinto shrine that had been in their family for many generations, and was somewhat a spiritual priest himself. Kagome would say somewhat because usually...his charms and sutras don't work. She nervously glanced down at herself skeptically, wondering what the effects of his charms could have done to her.

"Yep. You should be healthy again in no time!" He boasted smugly.

"Gramps you know those things don't work," drawled Souta dryly, eyeing the weird looking machines his sister was hooked up to.

Mr. Higurashi blanched. "They do too!"

Kagome's mother suddenly stepped in-between them, sending them into respective corners before an argument could develop. "Alright boys thats enough. We don't need to be putting anymore stress on Kagome." She sent a wink in Kagomes direction.

Gramps, Souta, and her mother stayed for four more hours, chatting happily and cheering Kagome up. They were all glad that she was alright and conscious once again and they enjoyed each-others company until the hospitals visiting hours were over and they were forced to leave.

Kagome watched sullenly as her family slipped into their coats and headed for the door. She wanted to leave with them badly, to have everything return to normal. She didn't want to be the one left behind. But because her tests hadn't come back, Kagome knew that was impossible.

Souta shuffled toward the doorway, waving a goodbye in her general direction. "Bye sis! See ya' tomorrow."

Kagome lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers as her farewell.

"See you in the morning," Gramps smiled, kissing the top of her head before moving over to join Souta.

She forced herself to smile. "Kay."

Her mother stepped in her line of vision, leaning down to her level. "Call us if you need anything. I mean it. Even if its three in the morning I want you to call. If you ever need-"

"Mom," Kagome groaned playfully, cutting her off. "Ill be alright. The hospital nurses station is just right outside my door. Ill be just fine."

Her expression softened but her eyes remained worried. "Alright. Good-bye Kagome. I love you."

"I love you too."

When they finally left, Kagome sighed dejectedly and huffed back against the pillows, glaring dagger's at the ceiling. It wasn't fair...it just wasn't fair! Here she was, lying in a stuffy hospital room in a stupid hospital bed with tubes and needles poking and pinching her skin, while everyone else got to leave and go about their business and daily lives.

She started picking at the clear hospital bracelet that sat on her wrist with her name and brith-date scrawled on it, trying to shed any light on the whole stroke and coma situation. None of it made sense and none of it seemed right. She still felt empty, like a space in her heart was void where it should have been filled. Filled with what? She had no idea.

Squeezing her eyes shut and taking a deep forceful breath, she tried stimulating her memory. She started forcing herself to remember everything she'd forgotten.

And suddenly the colors were back.

Flashing with a brilliant flare, scarlet and silver blurred her vision. She blinked, helpless to their mysterious power. The all too familiar shades enveloped her in a strange feeling that she couldn't properly place or remember.

_"Gold...," _a soft voice somewhere deep in her brain whispered and Kagome froze, captured in an odd trance she didn't dare interupt. "_...Remember him."_

"What!?" She whispered back furiously. "Who?"

_"Remember the forest. Remember the sleeping boy."_

Kagome licked her lips and frowned. _Sleeping boy...? What boy?_

_"Forgive his mistakes," _the voice commanded, almost forcefully. "_Trust him!"_

"WHO!?" Kagome shouted as she lost her patience, slamming her hands against her blankets in frustration. She growled and ran a hand through her hair. _Oh, thats just great. Im starting to hear voices in my head now on top of everything else._

"Kagome? Are you alright?" A timid voice suddenly spoke.

The colors scattered from Kagome's sight and the voice inside of her head faded, leaving her vision to focus solely on Koume as she stood in the doorway.

"Is something the matter? I heard yelling." She asked, stepping into to the room almost cautiously. She approached her bedside slowly, gazing at her with a look that Kagome couldn't quite place.

Kagome cleared her throat and tried schooling her wild expression into one that wasn't as crazy. "I um..." she cleared her throat again, nervous by the way Koume was eyeing her.

Her eyes narrowed. "Are you feeling okay?"

Kagome shrugged, feigning casualty. "I just cain't sleep. Thats all."

_"Trust him_," the mysterious voice muttered, reappearing.

Forgetting Koume stadning mere feet away from her, Kagome placed both her palm's on each temple, speaking roughly to the voice inside her head. "Either tell me exactly what you mean about this 'sleeping forest boy' or shut the hell up!"

This was it, she decided suddenly. She was going crazy. That had to be it. No sane person, in their right mind, would ever hear strange voices in their head. It just wasn't right, nor was it normal. The thought frightened her.

Kagome waited, listening as the voice grew faint and finally disappeared. When she was sure that the voice was definitely gone and wasn't coming back, her hands drifted back down to her sides and she sighed at the peace and quiet that had resumed in her head.

Koume stared at her a few lingering seconds, that look on her face Kagome couldn't properly place growing more defined. "Ill be right back."

She slowly backed out of the room and into the hallway with hasty retreating steps.

Something abruptly clicked in Kagome's head and she realized what that look had been on Koume's face. Apprehension. She thought Kagome was going nutty and had started talking to herself like a deranged, mentally ill lunatic.

Kagome swallowed hard as Koume re-entered the room, holding a needle in her hand. Kagome stilled as she saw Koume stick the long needle into the tube that was connected into her arm, depositing whatever clear liquid that was inside into the IV line.

Kagome blinked rapidly. "Wh-what was that?"

Koume purposefully didn't look at her. "This'll help you sleep better. "

Kagome felt the drug enter her bloodstream like heavy chunks of ice navigating through a narrow river. Her vision blurred and she watched through the mist that suddenly invaded her vision as Koume backed out of the room, slipping through the sliding door quietly.

Kagome's eyelids were suddenly heavy. They drooped and she felt her body become as heavy as a lead anvil as it sunk into the sheets. She groaned loudly, hating that Koume could control her so easily. One little sleeping drug and BAM! It was lights out.

The whole situation made her feel weak like she was back in the deep darkness of her coma, unconscious and terribly helpless. And as the room continued to become fuzzy, Kagome fought the losing battle to stay conscious.

Just as she was about to give in and surrender to sleep, a shadow fell over the room. Glancing up, Kagome saw that there were two darkened shapes looming in the doorway, shielding any outside light from spilling into her room.

They were figures, Kagome realized hazily, one fairly taller than the other. They lingered in the doorway, watching her behind a veil of darkness that shrouded and concealed their faces. Kagome shifted, not sure what to do or say to the two stranger's.

Then, the taller one spoke to the smaller figure. His voice was rich, deep and bit on the cold side. "This was a mistake. We shouldn't be here._ You _shouldn't be here."

The smaller silhouette scoffed and something on top of his head twitched, though Kagome couldn't properly make out what it was the darkness. "Keh. Are you insane? Why the hell would we just back out now? Besides, we have every fucking right to be here. _I _have every right. You know that better then anyone. Its been too long and Im tiered of waitin' for her."

Kagome listened to the second voice, entranced by the deep beautifulness of it. Even though it was slightly distorted by whatever drugs were pumping through her veins, it still sounded wonderful and oddly familiar. She wanted more of it.

The smaller shape suddenly moved for her bedside in one swift motion. "Can you hear me?" The voice was quiet, purposefully hushed. "Hey. Open your eyes."

Something touched her hand and heat instantly flooded her body from head to toe, like a wild fire spreading across a parched, barren forest. But it was a good kind of heat. It was a burn that sought to heal her. The sensation was vaguely familiar.

Kagome forced her heavy eyes open, unable to say no to the beautiful voice. She hadn't even realized her eyes had closed in the first place. Blinking blearily, she lifted her chin so she could look onto the face that was hovering inches above her own.

Illuminated in pale moonlight, the only light flooding into the room, outlined the face of a young man on the verge of manhood. A boy. He blurred in and out of her focus briefly.

A rare crooked smiled danced at his lips when she opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Its 'bout time you woke up."

Kagome opened her mouth to reply, but all words escaped her as their eyes clashed. Her world shifted.

Bewitching amber eyes peered down at her in the darkness, highlighted by slitted pupils. Thick, pitch black eyelashes that would make any honest girl jealous of, fanned over the golden pools. They were intoxicating, inhuman, hypnotic and the most breathtaking eyes Kagome had ever seen. They oddly reminded her of a kaleidoscope.

The young mans face was defined by a strong jaw, smooth cheekbones and a set of pale pink lips that sat right above an obvious dimple in his chin. Moon-kissed hair cascaded down his shoulder's, the tips of it brushing the lower middle of his back, and layered silvery bangs hung down in front of his face, shielding his forehead.

But what really had Kagome staring were the two downey ears that were perched on top of his silvery mop. The two appendages were furry and white, resembling those of the canine world, but where pink on the inside. They looked like velvet and she fantasized about reaching out and rubbing them.

For some reason, without thinking, Kagome felt herself smiling back him. She opened her mouth to speak but the words came out garbled and half formed. "Do I know you?"

His hold on her hand tightened, his smirk faltering slightly. "Yeah. Its me. You remember don't you?"

The answer came before Kagome could even attempt to respond. The voice from earlier echoed in a deep corner in the back of her mind, a faraway flicker of a flame that was no longer alight. It was the same voice from earlier. A voice that was not her own.

_"Yes. Ill remember always."_

"This wasn't supposed to happen." His gruff voice was soft as he spoke, mumbling frantically to himself. He ran a hand through his brightly colored hair before sliding his gaze over to her face again. "Im so sorry for what I've put you through. Forgive me, please?"

Kagome had no answer for him. She was still struggling to make sense of what was happening and clinging onto the unexpected surge of adrenaline and hope that had suddenly surfaced the second the boy had appeared. Whatever reason she'd been feeling so empty since she had woken up from her coma, this boy...he was the answer. She just knew it. Whatever that answer was.

Kagome smiled at him again but he was no longer looking at her. He was moving around in fluid motions that Kagome couldn't keep up with in her loopy state.

However she could still feel the tube in her nose being removed and the IV in her arm being pulled from the vein that pulsated tightly, the drugs in her system threatening to overthrow her blood. The heart monitor on her finger was removed and just like before when Koume had removed the monitor, a shrill beeping sound filled the room.

At this, she heard the beautiful voice curse in a rough tone that Kagome didn't particularly care for. She liked it when his voice was softer, unguarded.

The other figure, the one still looming in the doorway, muttered something sarcastic to the boy. A noise, that sounded awfully close to a growl was ripped from the golden eyed boy's throat before he barked something back at the other figure heatedly, agitatedly.

Kagome reached out toward the boy to comfort him, seeking his warmth. She mumbled something incoherent and he was at her side once more, lacing his finger's through her's, squeezing gently.

Kagome glanced down at his hands and giggled softly. He had claws in place of where his fingernails should have been. Kagome blinked, trying to clear her head. Clearly the drugs had started making her see things. But the talon like claws didn't disappear and she found the fact that the drug had made her start hallucinating a funny idea and she giggled again.

"Don't worry," he whispered, his voice ringing deep inside Kagome's very soul. "Im going to get you out of here. I wont leave you ever again."

Suddenly, Kagome heard footsteps outside the door, coming from the direction of the nurses station. Probably coming to shut off the noisy alarm.

"...Lets get out of here. We need to depart before anyone sees us." The taller figure spoke, not inching from the doorway.

Kagome suddenly shivered. A chill had rolled over every inch of her body, slowly replacing the heated spark that had been lingering under her skin. Kagome whimpered. And thats when she realized that the touch of the boys hand had vanished.

With all her strength she reached out, searching for it. For him. Grasping at cold, empty air, Kagome fought to keep her eyes open, fighting the unavoidable certainty of sleep.

"Don't go," she slurred helplessly through lips that had gone numb long ago, watching as the shorter figure joined the taller by the doorway reluctantly.

She had so much to ask him. Who was he? Did he know her? Where did he come from? He'd asked her if she'd remembered him. Did that mean they'd met before? He'd spoken to her with so much familiarity that there was no way he didn't know her. Where was he going? And most importantly, would he come back?

The boy glanced at her over his shoulder, his amber eyes standing out like a bright flame in the dark room. "Ill come back for you, Kagome." He nodded in determination. "Count on it."

A pleasing shrill ran up and down her spine as her name was curresed by his tongue before it slipped past his lips. He knew her name.

Kagome reached out toward him again and frowned when all her finger's captured was air. Her vision pulsed with her heartbeat, beginning to dim with each measured thud. She watched as the boy and the taller figure slipped from her room like ghostly shadows.

_Come back, _was her last thought as her eyes slipped shut, the all too familiar darkness welcoming her into the world of dreams.

The boy was gone.

-:-:-:-:-

The sun had just eased itself over the morning horizon when Kagome woke up the next morning. She blinked sowly, resurfacing from slumber sluggishly.

She groaned as the drowsiness and disorientation hit her like an anvil to the face - the lingering effects of the drugs that had been in her system. Her arms and legs were heavy, her throat was dry and her tongue stuck defiantly to the roof of her mouth. Her vision blurred and it took a few moments for it to refocus.

Kagome turned over in bed, wincing. Her muscles were tight and ached dully from sleeping in an odd position all night. She rested her head against the flimsy hospital pillow and gazed outside at the morning sun, watching as two blue birds chased after one another in a flirtatious airborne dance outside her window.

Koume suddenly entered the room, holding a green tray. She smiled fully when she saw that Kagome was awake.

"Well, well. Look who's up."

Kagome rolled over and faced her, pushing a red button on the remote connected to the bed and it rose until she was sitting upright.

"I brought you some breakfast." She offered, holding the trey out for Kagome's examination. "Do you want to try eating some real, solid food today?"

Kagome glanced at all the food items - two toast slices, eggs and two bacon strips- and shook her head slowly, the thought of eating repulsing her. She wasn't hungry at all. "No."

Koume laughed lightly. "I cain't blame you. Thats hospital food for you."

She set the trey down on the nightstand table and moved to the end of the bed, grabbing Kagome's clipboard and checking the machines before writing something down.

"Vitals are good," she said with a wink before scrawling something down on the clipboard. "Like always."

_The machines...the oxygen tube._ Kagome gasped quietly, the events of the night before rushing back to me like a sudden tidal-wave. There had been a boy in her room.

Remebering what the stranger had done before he'd left, Kagome reached up and gently touched her face. The tube in her nose was back in its place. Kagome glanced down at her arm and noticed that the IV had been reinserted into her vein. Kagome cautiously peered around the room. But it was empty - save for Koume.

Kagome slumped back against her sheets in disappointment. But he had been in her room. She had heard him. She had seen him. She had _felt _the scorching heat that passed between their skin when their hands had touched. They were all too familiar sensations.

"Koume?" Kagome asked, her voice inexplicably uneven.

"Yes Kagome?" She responded distractedly, still starring at the machines.

Kagome swallowed dry air. "Has anyone..." Her bottom lip started to quiver and she bit it quickly before trying to speak again. "Did anyone come in my room last night? Like a visitor?"

She decided to conveniently leave out the fact that this 'visitor' seemed to be very oddly dressed, had dog ears, claws and that he knew her name. There was no need to worry the already jumpy nurse...was there? What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

Kagomes question had broke the woman from her intense concentration and she glanced up from her scribbling. Her face was pinched and her brow furrowed. "No. Just the night nurse that was on duty when you knocked out your IV and oxygen tube in your sleep."

"What?" Kagome felt her throat constrict but she pushed past it. "_I _did that?"

Koume nodded solemnly. "I don't think you took to well to the drugs. Its effects on everyone are different. And I apologize that I had to do that to you in the first place. But if I hadn't, you might have hurt yourself. Or worse."

Kagome felt her face fall. "Oh."

Maybe she had imagined it all. Maybe the drugs had caused her mind to hallucinate the odd boy, filling her thoughts with a strange type of hope. He had almost seemed..._too _perfect to Kagome that he didn't seem real. Kagome scoffed silently, remembering the twitching dog ears on his head and the talon like claws that sat where fingernails should have been. Of course she had imagined him!

She grinned at the odd effects drugs had on people...which faded slowly the more her mind lingered on the subject. The image of the boy was so clear in her memory she could practically reach out and touch him. She could still see his charming amber eyes and the way his unusual hair fell into them as he leaned over her, whispering her name like she was his salvation. The image was permanently engrained into her brain. She gently rubbed at the same spot he had held her hand, as if she could still feel him there.

Had it all been a crazy hallucination caused by the effects of the drugs? Had she made it all up? Was it all in her head? A mere figment of her imagination?

"But I do have some good news." Koume smiled, snapping Kagome from her thoughts.

Kagome slouched back into the bedding, uninterested. "Yeah?"

"Dr. Sutshi has your updated lab results. He says he has some good news for you," she finished in a sing-songy voice.

She was really in no mood to hear about the lab results concerning her coma, seeing as how she'd heard enough about her stroke. But Koume looked so happy about sharing the 'good news' that it made Kagome smile despite herself. Koume then asked if she needed anything more and when Kagome told her that she didn't, she left for her other duties.

Kagome brought the blankets up around her neck and closed her eyes for just a moment, taking a deep breath.

However, when she opened her eyes again, the sun had lowered noticeably in the sky, casting an orange glow on the wall opposite of her. Kagome glanced over at the wall clock curiously. Two hours had passed and it was almost noon. Kagome frowned when she realized she had let herself fall asleep. And just like the hallucination of the boy she'd seen yesterday, Kagome blamed that too on the lingering effects of the drugs.

Rubbing a fist across her eyes, Kagome sat up in bed and stretched, yawning shamelessly.

"Watch where your pointing that, dragon breath," Souta muttered as he appeared out of nowhere, wrinkling his nose at her fowl morning breath.

Kagome's eyes narrowed and she glared at her brother weakly, simultaneously wondering when he'd shown up. If he was here, that meant Gramps and her mother wouldn't be far off. "You try sleeping for two months and waking up with breath that smells like a bed of roses."

Souta stuck his tongue out at her childishly and she replied in a very mature fashion: by tugging on her ears, puffing out her cheeks and crossing her eyes. There. Now she looked like a deranged monkey. Very mature. Souta threw his head back and let out a howling laugh at Kagome's unexpected silly face, nearly losing his balance and flinging himself off the edge of the bed.

"Well its good to see you two getting along so well," my mother chuckled, stepping into the room. She was sipping leisurely on something that was in the styrofoam cup she clutched to her chest.

"Your hilarious sis!" Souta laughed, his smile making his eyes crinkle around the edges.

Kagome placed her non IV hand behind her head and reclined back, winking at him. "Glad I can be your cheap entertainment for the night."

"How are you feeling today, honey?" Kagome's mother asked as she sat back in a spare chair across the room.

Kagome sighed, blowing at her bangs as they hung down in front of her eyes. What a broad question. _Well Im STILL stuck in this stupid, stuffy hospital with tubes and needles stuck in me everywhere. So Im feeling annoyed at that. My friends haven't come and visited me and Im feeling pretty put out. Oh, also, I think Im going mentally insane because Ive started hallucinating a beautiful boy that want's to take me away from the hospital and probably you. So theres that issue that needs to be dealt with. Despite the dog ears and pretty scary claws the guy has, he seems harmless. Wanna meet my imaginary friend?_

She grinned at her sarcastic thoughts before turning her full attention back to her mother.

"My appetite is still nonexistent and I cain't walk for more then a few feet without the help of a nurse. But my head doesn't ache and I don't feel like throwing up anymore, so I've gone from completely unhopeful to slightly optimistic."

"Thats good to hear." Mrs. Higurashi smirked, tipping back her cup and taking a swig.

"Thats very good to hear." A deep voice echoed from the doorway. Dr. Sutshi's smirk broadened as Kagome glanced his way. He stepped into the room, clutching a plastic binder against his white lab coat. "Being anything more than unhopeful in your situation is good news."

Mrs Higurashi practically leapt up from her her spot in the chair. "Good-afternoon Dr. Sutshi. Do you have any new news concerning Kagome?" She greeted over-zealously.

The physician smiled and nodded his head. "I do. In fact thats why I came here as soon as my lunch break was finished. I received Kagomes labs earlier today and I couldn't wait to share them with you all."

Kagome was instantly alert and thirsty for more knowledge about her condition. "...And?"

Sutshi grinned appreciatively of her over-zealousness. "And their perfectly normal."

Kagome stared at the man, blinking. There was an uncomfortable silence filling the room. No one knew what to say back to that.

Mrs. Higurashi blinked.

Souta and Gramps blinked.

Kagome felt herself blinking again. "...Normal." It was more of a question then a statement.

He nodded affirmatively. "Normal." Unfolding the binder that had been clutched to his chest up until that point, the good doctor held it out for Kagome who took it and stared at it confusedly.

Inside were her labs and scans, all placed neatly side by side. The first scan was a black and white picture of Kagome's brain. She was definitely no doctor (heck she was having a hard time passing her mid-terms) but even she could tell that the second picture was of her chest cavity. Like the first scan, this picture was in black and white. It depicted her ribs and ribcage. The third was another picture of her brain. But unlike the first one, this picture of her cranium was colored brightly. Reds, blues, greens and yellows dotted the picture.

Kagome cocked her head to the side and studied them all closely, wondering what they all meant.

Souta, who had been starring at the scans of his sister like all the other occupants of the room, spoke up first. "So my sister is just...fine?"

Sutshi nodded and puffed up smugly. "That she is."

At that, Mrs. Higurashi was pulled from her thoughts and she walked over to the man and hugged him tightly, catching Sutshi by surprise.

"Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you." She squeezed her arms tightly around his middle an he chuckled.

"Really its no problem. Im just glad that Kagome is recovering much more quickly then we'd predicted."

She stepped back from the embrace. "When do you think we might be able to take Kagome home?"

He mulled this over for a few seconds, glancing over to Kagome who had gone unusually quiet. "I think she will be able to go home in a day or two, depending on her eating patterns, heart rate and physical stamina."

Mrs. Higurashi beamed and stepped over to her daughter as she placed the labs down and stared out the window. "Did you hear that darling? You'll be able to go home soon! Isn't that wonderful news?"

Kagome continued to stare out the window. "Mhmm."

Her mother didn't seem to notice the melancholy attitude her daughter had suddenly fallen into and she sat down on her bedside, hugging her tightly. "Im so happy Kagome. Im so glad your alright."

Kagome swallowed and welcomed the hug graciously as she rested her cheek on her moms shoulder. If Mrs. Higurashi had taken a closer look at her daughter she would have noticed that Kagome was bitting her lip so she wouldn't cry.

While Kagome had been reading her labs, she suddenly realized something she'd forgotten to ask the strange boy who'd mysteriously materialized in her room last night. Real or hallucinated she'd still forgotten to ask him.

A rouge tear rolled down Kagome's cheek.

She'd never gotten a chance to ask the golden-eyed boy his name.

-:-:-:-:-

Three days later, passing all of her newest scans and tests with flying colors, Kagome was discharged from the hospital. Now that she was feeling much better, having eaten better and worked with a few physical therapists to help her start walking properly again, Kagome was just itching to leave the confines of the hospital walls.

Inevitably, all the skeptical doctors on the _ICU _floor came to the same conclusion that Kagome had reached a while ago; she was fine. She may not have been completely physically strong or had all of her memories back since she woke up, but Kagome knew she was fine. She just needed time.

"Kagome?"

Said teenager had been starring out the window in the room pensively while she waited for her mother, watching the world fly by below her out the windowpane. At the use of her name she glanced over her shoulder. "Yes?"

Dr. Sutshi grinned soflty as he lingered in the hallway outside of the room. He had foregone his usual lab coat and was wearing a plain baby blue shirt and black slacks which highlighted the color in his eyes. Kagome noted that the look suited him. However, she also noted that he was holding onto the handlebars of a wheelchair.

"Its time to go. Your moms finished all of your paperwork and she's just pulling the car around. Is it okay If I wheel you down?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and faced him fully, trying to give him her best intimidating scowl. It was a look that did everything but audibly hiss. "I can walk down there just fine."

His face faltered. "I never said that you couldn't, Kagome. But its a hospital requirement that all patients depart in a wheelchair."

Kagome stood her ground. "Then make an exception."

He sighed heavily, like the weight of the world sat on his shoulder's. He ran a hand through his hair tiredly. "Please don't be difficult."

"Im not being difficult!" Irritation flared hotly inside of Kagome's chest.

"But you are," he insisted. "I've watched you, Kagome, while you've been recovering. Whenever I come to check up on you, you act difficulty with me. You don't like taking help from others and you certainly don't like depending on anyone but yourself. And I can understand that. It must be a very difficult time for you right now, what with waking up from a two month coma and all. You must feel so confused and angry for whats happened."

Kagome's ire melted almost instantly and her arms drifted back down to her sides.

"But while I can appreciate your feelings of anger about your memory loss, I cain't understand why you wont let others help you." His eyes softened. "Sometimes people need help. Its human nature and you are no exception. So please, "He wheeled the chair closer to her and gestured for her to sit, "let me help you."

Kagome stared at him for a few lingering seconds, shaken by how _dead _on he was. Her expression was hard and curious at how oddly candid he was being with her. Had he really been paying that much attention to her?

When Sutshi didn't budge from his spot or look like he was going to give up, Kagome swallowed her pride and shuffled forward before plopping herself into the wheelchair.

"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" Kagome could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Harder then you might think," she muttered and he chuckled lightly as he turned the chair around and led her down the hallway.

The continued in silence, neither one really knowing what to say. They passed the maternity ward of the hospital and Kagome's face softened as she saw all the pink, squishy newborns inside the nursery.

Sutshi wheeled her into an empty elevator and pressed the main floor button and the metal doors of the elevator closed with a _clank._

Kagome fiddled with her hands in her lap.

They descended past the fifth floor.

"Thank you," Kagome blurted unexpectedly in a whisper that was almost inaudible.

They passed the fourth floor.

Sutshi nodded though Kagome wasn't looking his way. "Your welcome.

Another silence fell over the two as they slid past the third floor. An understanding ran deeply between them. Words beyond what had already been said were inadequate and unnecessary.

When they finally reached the bottom floor, Sutshi pushed Kagome through the main lobby toward a set of double doors that opened automatically when the walked in front of it. As they passed through the doors and stpeped out into the blinding sunlight - something Kagome hadn't truly seen in two month - she squinted and raised her hand up to shield the brightness away from her eyes.

The outside air was supremely fresh and Kagome smiled softly as the wind tickled at the nape of her neck. Everything around her seemed so bright and alive. Cars whizzed by, people walked down sidewalks chatting with one another, bicyclists sped onward.

And Kagomee felt...like an outsider compared to the lot of them. She had only been in her coma for two months but it seemed like an eternity now. She watched as they went on with their daily lives, wondering if she could truly start over and get back to normal.

Mrs. Higurashi pulled the car around to the passenger loading zone and stopped right in front of where Kagome and Sutshi were waiting.

Sutshi suddenly knelt beside Kagome so he could look into her eyes. He smiled softly. "Take care of yourself, Kagome. If you need anything, don't be afraid to call me. Your mother has my number."

Kagome grinned genuinely and nodded. "Alright. I will."

With all of that said and done, Kagome stood up from the chair without any help, grabbed the overnight bag her mother had brought for her while she was staying at Mooreina and slipped into the passenger side of her mothers car before slamming the door shut.

Dr. Sutshi waved one final time before turning and walking back into the busy hospital. Kagome watched him go.

"Ready to leave?" Mrs. Higurashi chirped happily as she pulled the car away from the curb and merged onto the road. She turned up the radio to a catchy song. Kagome started subconsciously bobbing her head to the beat.

Kagome smirked as she watched the scenery whizz by out the open car window, feeling freer then she had even been. "You have no idea."

_From now on, things are going to get better, I just know it. _Kagome assured herself, grinning like a maniac. She would go back to school, see her friends, study hard and get back to her regular life. She nodded her head subconsciously. She liked the sound of that.

When Mrs. Higurashi slowed the car at a stop sign, something caught Kagome's attention out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head fully to see whatever it was. Thats when she saw _his_ face and she stilled, her fingernails digging into the plush stuffing of the padded carseat as she held her breath.

Perched on a high branch in a tall tree near the stop sign, hanging onto the tree's trunk with one hand and the other hand hanging limply at his side, stood the boy who had snuck his way into her hospital room that one night. The same boy Kagome hadn't been able to get out of her mind, no matter how hard she tried.

While Kagome was still in the hospital, she had waited up every night after that night boy had visited, waiting to see if he'd come back for her - just like he'd promised. And when he didn't, Kagome had forced herself to realize that the dog-eared boy must have been a hallucination. The mere idea sounded crazy. Even still, she hadn't been able to shake the feeling that he _was _real.

And now here he was; dog ears and all. She hadn't been going crazy. He was real.

Kagome really hadn't gotten a real good chance to look at the guys features but now that she could, she couldn't help herself from starring at him shamelessly. He was a modern day adonis.

His silver hair, which looked almost white in the sunlight, was billowing out behind him at the mercy of the breeze. His head was lowered and a single silky tendril of hair swelled out in front of his eyes, shielding the upper half of his face. He wore a plain red tee-shirt that hugged his obviously well defined chest, a pair of dark washed jeans that accentuated his taught thigh muscles and lean hips, as well as a worn pair of black biker boots. Even from her spot in the car Kagome could tell this guy was in shape. There was no doubt about that.

Her mouth had audibly popped open at the sight of him and she discreetly glanced over to her mother, who was completely oblivious to the boy sitting in the tree like a monkey. Kagome debated on calling out to him as her eyes found his figure once again. _Who are you? _she thought mutely, capturing her bottom lip in between her teeth nervously.

As if he had read her thoughts, the young man's head snapped upward, a single amber eye peeking out from behind thick silver bangs and untamed hair. She gasped and pushed herself deep into the car seat as his smoldering gaze made her heart jump in her ribcage. She brought up a hand to rub at her chest absently.

He was watching her.

All of this happened within a fleeting moment and before Kagome could object, the car was moving again, merging into traffic.

She forced herself to turn away from the window and she slumped back into the carseat. Kagome's heart thrummed inside of her chest like a hollow drum and her breathing was erratic like she'd just run a marathon. Slowly, she glanced over her shoulder and peered out the back window toward the spot he'd been in. What she saw made her eyes go wide.

He was gone._ Again._

She faced forward and kicked her feat up onto the dashboard. This was insane! A guy with silver hair, dog ears and claws, was what? Stalking her? She'd never really thought of the idea of him being a stalker. But currently, he was acting very mysterious and stalker-ish.

"Thats just perfect," Kagome muttered sarcastically.

Her mother cocked a curious eyebrow at her. "Hmmm? Did you say something?"

Kagome shook her head, glancing out the window. "Nope."

But there was still the ever pressing fact that he knew her name. That could either mean one of two things. One was that he was some kind of major whack-job stalker guy, (something she prayed he wasn't...). And the second was that maybe he'd known her before she'd had her coma and she'd forgotten all about him.

For the sake of her own sanity, and not liking the first option very much, Kagome went with the latter.

* * *

**_A/N:_**

_Gah. That was a really bad place to end this chapter, I know. But It really couldn't be helped. I had to stop here._

_Honestly speaking, this chapter was a challenge for me. I felt frustrated writing it because I want to explain everything thats going on and I feel like Im not doing a very good job. I hope you guys are keeping up and not getting too confused._

_As I said before in the preview chapter, I want you to be confused. Kagome's confused and feels helpless and I want you all to feel that way as well. That way, when everything is explained in later chapters, you'll feel like you know why certin things did or did not happen in the earlier chapters. But don't fret my pets, things will definitely be more clear in the next chappie, I pinky promise._

_Next up:_

Chapter 2. The Boy Who Knew Her Name.

_"TTFN, Ta Ta for now!"_

_-Smed_

**・・・・**


	3. Chapter 2

**Full Summary:**

Kagome Higurashi wakes in a hospital, only to find out she's been in a coma for two months. Questions naturally start buzzing around in her head. Why is she there? Why is she so confused? And who's the mysterious stranger that visits her in the middle of the night? But everything is forgotten when a strange new boy enrolls at her school. Why does her seem so familiar? And how does he know her name?

**_Author: _**SmedTheVagabond

**_Beta:_**_ GoldenEyedRamenLover _&_ YourGoldenEyes_

**_AuthorsNote:_**

_A big **THANK YOU **goes out to all who have read and/or reviewed my story. __Personally, I don't think any story would be anything without the reviewers and readers. You guys honestly make my day with your wonderful comments. _

_Anyway, Im sorry this chapter is as short as it is. I know it not as long as my usual chapters. But Im leaving for California for Anime Expo tomorrow morning (YAY! *does stupid, happy dance*) and I wont be able to update until I get back. _

_-Smed_

**・・・・**

_Review or Inuyasha gets shot by another arrow and sealed to the sacred tree for fifty more years._

* * *

**Chapter 2. The Boy Who knew Her Name**

She was doing it again, she realized. With a huff, she forced herself to stop walking. Oddly, it was harder to stop herself from continuing on than it normally was.

It had been two and a half weeks since Kagome had been discharged from the hospital and she was feeling uncharacteristically restless. When the teenager had returned home, she felt like an outsider in her own home.

Everything was...off, and unfamiliar. Though nothing had physically changed. It made no sense to her. Her family was supportive, her home was exactly the same and nothing was different. So why did she feel so lost? So confused?

Despite being more confused than she ever had in her life, there was one spot on the family shrine that Kagome felt the most at peace. Where she could forget all her worries and fears. It calmed her when she was feeling like she was going to jump out of her skin.

The Goshinboku.

The sacred tree of ages had been on the shrine grounds for what seemed like forever. Her grandfather had told her once that it had been there for many many centuries and that it had special properties which allowed it to transcend through time.

Kagome had never really believed in the old mans stories (considering he was senile) but ever since she had been back from the hospital, she thought differently. A special kind of aura seemed to radiate off of Goshinboku. It pulsed and thrummed. Feeling….alive, somehow. Kagome had never seen it before. Until now.

She would find herself mindlessly walking to Goshinboku, having no real destination in mind, much like she was right now. She would just go into a daze and somehow make her way to the tree. And by the time she'd get there, she hadn't even realized she had been heading for it.

Kagome resumed walking through the shrines courtyard and made her way over toward the towering giant. Large intertwined limbs of the tree reached high into the sky where they bloomed heavily with rich dark leaves. She stepped over the small bordered fence that sat at the foot of the tree and stared up at the thick foliage. The branches bent and swayed with the wind in a hypnotic motion.

She sighed and lowered herself to the ground, settling herself into the a tangle of protruding roots at the base of the tree. Closing her eyes, she let the back of her head rest against the rough bark of the tree. A living, being pulse seemed to thrum from the massive tree. A calming wave washed over the girl and Kagome smirked to herself. The tree, it would seem, was trying to comfort her once again.

It had been a surprisingly long two weeks. Kagome had filled them with lots of naps, binge eating and watching old movies while curled up in her bed, snuggled up in her blankets in a makeshift cocoon.

Her mother had tried very hard to make her daughter more comfortable and at home. She had cooked and baked her favorite meals, pampered her every chance she got and pretty much treated her like some type of royal. Souta, too, had been on his best behavior around his sister.

Kagome's school friends, Eri, Yuka and Ayumi had even visited a few times. The close knitted group of girls had hugged her and even cried, telling Kagome how happy they were that she was alright and how worried they had been.

She was glad and somewhat relieved to find her friend's hadn't changed, while everything around her seemed to be so different. Kagome had been overjoyed at her friends visit, delighted by their company more then words could describe. But when they departed, telling her they'd visit again, she became saddened again.

And the only place she felt any comfort in her sadness was the Goshinboku. Which was why she had found herself there. _Again. _

Kagome adjusted herself into a more comfortable position on the roots, but stopped when her knuckles grazed across something smooth underneath a flowered shrub that was planted near her leg. She grabbed the object curiously and brought it up to her face for examination.

It was a necklace. Kagome felt her eyebrows pull together in confusion. She didn't remember her mother owning a necklace like this, nor did she recall having one like it. Or course, as of late, she really couldn't recall many things.

"Maybe I bought it before my coma," she whispered to herself. She spun the small jewel around in her palm.

White stone's lined the small beaded rope of the necklace which lead down to a perfectly spherical jewel at the end that was roughly the size of a large marble. The jewel, oddly, was perfectly clear. Like a white diamond.

"Thats not right. Its supposed to be pink." The words were out of her mouth even before Kagome registered she was speaking.

And again, she felt her face twist into confusion. How on earth did she know what color the necklace gem should be? How could she possibly know that? Why would she think otherwise?

"I must be losing it," she muttered dryly. She unclasped the necklace and wrapped it around her neck, securing it in place. She fingered the jewel as it sat proudly on her breastbone.

Smirking to herself, she pushed herself up from the thick roots and started back for her house. "Well whatever color it was, its mine now."

-:-:-:-:-

She couldn't sleep. No matter how hard she tired, how many times she rolled over in bed, re-fluffed her pillow, Kagome couldn't seem to fall asleep. Her alarm clock read _12:56_

Her brain was too busy. Tomorrow was her first day back at school after her prolonged absence and she was feeling a bit nervous. It wasn't the thought of school that frightened her, exactly. Though the thought of school at all wasn't that pleasing either.

She was nervous because she worried that school, just like everything around her, would feel wrong. Like she was missing something. Something that she desperately needed to remember.

Despite her discomfort, she'd somehow gotten used to the nagging feeling in the back of her mind. It hadn't left her since she woke up from her coma. But unlike when she first woke up, the sensation wasn't as prominent as it used to be. It was just...a feeling she had now. A feeling that was becoming part of her the longer she thought about it.

With a grunt, Kagome rolled out of bed and tip-toed downstairs for the kitchen. Maybe a glass of water would help.

She quietly slipped down the hallway, cautious not to wake her sleeping family, giggling quietly to herself as she passed Souta's room. He was snoring like a drunken truck driver. The boy could sleep through a hurricane, tornado and earthquake. All at once.

Padding downstairs, she yawned and entered the kitchen. Fumbling slightly the dark, she grabbed a glass from the cupboard and turned on the faucet, filling the glass. When the glass was filled she turned off the water and took a deep, refreshing swig.

Leaning her hip against the edge of the kitchen counter, she finished the last few gulps of water, starring outside and the Goshinboku through the kitchen window. The tree was glowing with a soft inviting gleam. The branches bent with the night winds, making it look like the tree was waving at her.

Kagome stared at the hypnotic way the branches moved and swayed. There was something...something wrong. She narrowed her eyes and leaned toward the window, trying to get a better look at whatever it was.

Cradled in a branch that was higher up the tree's vegetation sat a figure. The persons back was pressed against the large trunk, head bent forward, one bare foot dangling over the thick branch they had perched themselves on. Arms folded over taut chest muscles and stuffed into the sleeves of a thick black sweatshirt.

Kagome pressed her fingertips to her mouth, muffling a gasp. She nearly dropped the glass. It was him. The boy with the strange ears. She knew it without any shadow of a doubt.

Lapsing into a kind of trance, Kagome set the glass onto the counter and headed outside into the warm night air.

Fireflies flickered at random in the still quiet of the night. It added to the ambiance with a calming effect. But Kagome wasn't focused on the flirtatious courtship that lit up the darkness. She was focused on him. And _only _him.

Sweeping her way up to the the tree, she opened her mouth to speak - to demand to know who he was, to force him to tell her everything - only to close it when she realized she didn't know what she was supposed to say. Or not say.

For a long time, she thought he was a mirage of her own imagination. Even now she had thoughts that she might be imagining him. She had no way of knowing. He was never around for anyone else to see him.

But now that she wasn't on drugs or in a car that wouldn't stop, she realized she was at a loss for words. What was she to say to someone who might be a stalker? What if he wanted to hurt her? Or worse?

The boy had his arms thrown casually behind his head now, creating a makeshift pillow. He kept his eyes closed as if he was sleeping. But Kagome knew he was very much awake. And watching her behind closed eyelids. A traitorous ear swiveled in her direction at her arrival, letting Kagome know he was conscious.

She watched him, studied him, noting every curve and line on the young mans face. Noticing the way his silver hair, shining proudly in the moonlight, was swept to the left side of his neck and flowing down the side of his toned body. He was defiantly something. Even with his eyes closed, he seemed proud. The way his chin lifted slightly, a small smirk lifting the very edges of his lips like he knew a secret no one else did.

"You never did come for me," she said at last, not knowing what else to say. "You know, in the hospital? You told me you'd come back and I waited for you but...you didn't."

The young man in the tree tensed. He had been watching her ever since she came down for a drink of water.

Like Kagome, he couldn't find enough peace to sleep. And when sleep continued to elude him, he'd left his apartment, roaming the city streets until he came to the very place he was trying to avoid: the Higurashi shrine.

He'd settled for perching himself into the branches of the Goshinboku and was instantly calmed. What better place to sleep than the place he'd once slept for fifty years? This was the very place everything began, after all.

His body had went rigid the second he heard her approaching, but now he stiffened even further. Despite the fact that her scent, her glorious wonderful scent was calming him, he had no clue what to say back to her.

He had been coming to the shrine in secret ever since she had arrive home from the hospital. In fact, he had followed her (at a safe distance of course) as she left the hospital that day. He'd tried to stop - tried to forget her. Forget everything that happened. And he knew the consequences if she found out about him. If anyone found about him, really. He knew, becuase she had been the one to tell him all those years ago.

Except he couldn't help himself. He couldn't stay away from her. She was the flame and he the helpless moth drawn to her.

But now that she was actually here, in front of him after so many years, he felt his tongue go numb. The three simple words he desperately longed to say her for five centuries died on his lips.

_I love you. _

"How come you didn't come back for me?" She whispered, unknowing to the thoughts inside his head. "You said you would and then you just...left."

His eyes finally opened underneath thick eyelashes. But he didn't look at her. If he looked at her, it would be over. He would lose it. And he needed to hold it together. He took a deep breath to calm the erratic tempo his heart had started beating.

_So, you've truly forgotten me; forgotten what we used to be. _

"I didn't think you'd remember that," he replied at length.

And it was true. She had said she didn't know who he was when he'd come to take her away at the hospital. He figured she must have been too far gone on the drugs. Clearly, he had been mistaken. She remembered what he had said to her at the hospital, but didn't remember him. He felt his face fall.

She didn't know who he was.

"Oh." She captured her lip in between her teeth; one of her many nervous habits. "You know, for a while I've been thinking you some kind of stalker." She paused, her eyes slowly trailing up the tree toward his face. "Your not, right?"

He would have smirked given a different situation. "What if I am?"

Obviously that was the wrong thing to say. She squeaked, her eyes going wide. He caught the sudden scent that filled the air around her, replacing her natural smell. Spicy and pungent, it burned at the inside of his nose. It was a scent that, he thought, never suited her.

It was fear. She was actually afraid of him.

He rolled his eyes. This was completely ridiculous. "Calm down Kagome" he groused. "I was just kidding."

Out of the very corner of his eye, he saw her relax. "Oh," she mumbled lamely.

She stared up at him for sometime, watching the way his bare foot bobbed up and down to a slow rhythm only he could hear. Just like his hands, his feet had clawed nails. She eyed them suspiciously.

At last she said, "I know you know who I am. You know my name after all. But...I don't know who you are. Why?"

The young man felt himself suppress a groan of agitation. Of all the questions she could ask, she had to ask the only one he couldn't answer?

He shook his head, not answering her. _Oh, Kagome if only you understood. If you did understand, you'd think I was fucking insane. If only you knew. But if you did, you wouldn't want to be anywhere near me. You wouldn't want to see my face. You'd be sick of me. __Completely disgusted. This is the only way. You have to stay in the dark. _

She frowned. "You know, you could at least talk to me."

"Yeah, I could do alotta' things." The silver-haired man huffed. "Anyway, isn't it a little bit past your bedtime? Shouldn't you be asleep, not bothering me with stupid questions and talking my ear off?"

His voice and attitude came off gruffer than he'd wanted. He was just so fed up with sneaking around and not telling her the truth that anything he said came out angry. He cringed inwardly as her face fell into a frown.

"Im sorry, I just..." she paused, her eyes narrowing. "Hey wait a minuet! You're sitting in a tree on _my _family's shrine grounds in the middle of the freaking night, talking to me with a holier-than-thou type of arrogance after stalking me, for what? Two weeks? Maybe even longer? Who do you think you are?!"

This time, he allowed himself the privilege of a small smirk. Ahhh Kagome. She never changed.

He shoved himself up from his lazy slouch and stared down at her, finally allowing himself to look at her for the first time since their encounter at the hospital.

She was dressed in a pair of pink pajamas with a rather large cat print on the front. Her hands were perched on her hips and she was giving him a scathing look.

His grin defined into a full blown smile. How many times had he seen that scowl? How many times had he seen that angry fire in her eyes? And just how many times had he tried to push her button just to see that look on her face?

Despite her cold-hard stare, he thought she looked beautiful. Her hair billowed out behind her, her layered bangs shielding her forehead from view. Brown eyes were blazing with irritation, her lips pressed into a tight line.

He mentally swiped the grin from his lips and swung his legs over the branch. He hopped down with the swiftness and agility as a cat, landing quietly, mere inches away from the girl.

She squeaked, her eyes round and owl-like as she backed away slightly. He was so close. _To _close. But Kagome found herself not pushing the stranger away. If anything, she wanted him closer.

He was so close he could smell the raspberry shampoo she'd used on her hair. So close he could feel the heat radiating off of her pale skin. So close that if he took a breath, their middles would touch.

A few inches taller, he looked down at her. He fought off the unbearable urge to close the gap between them and kiss her. "What I think is that its time for you to go to bed."

Kagome bristled. Honestly, this guy was a real piece of work. She had half a mind to reel her arm back and slap him.

She quirked a defiant eyebrow. "And if I don't?"

Really, Kagome had no idea what she was doing. He was bigger, obviously stronger and maybe crazier than her. She didn't even know his name, who he was, or where he came from. She shouldn't push him. Regardless, she couldn't help but stand up for herself. If he wanted to hurt her, he would have done it already. Already he'd had more than a few chances and opportunities.

His golden eyes flared, the idea of a challenge exciting him. "I'll make you."

Kagome's chin tilted up defiantly. "I'd love to see you try."

That was all the needed to be said. With quick precision and timing, he picked her up like a sack of potatoes and slung her over his shoulder.

"Hey!" She screeched, slamming her hands down onto the intruders back.

He started for the house and Kagome kept thrashing. "Put. Me. DOWN!"

He didn't answer her, just kept walking. Like picking up screeching women happened to him everyday. When he reached the siding of the house, he set her down. But promptly picked her up again. This time bridal style, clawed hands underneath her knees and cradling her back. He grinned down at her mischievously, a bit of a pearly white fang flashing between his lips. Kagome decided, as she looked up at his perfect face, that he was a devil.

"Hold on tight," he grunted.

Without much more warning, he bent at the knees and launched himself upward, soaring two stories into the air. Kagome screeched at the sensation of flight and dug her nails into his broad shoulders. And just as quickly as it started it was over. He landed gracefully on the edge of the house and slid open the window that lead into her bedroom.

Kagome opened her mouth to demand that he explain just how he knew where her room was but decided against it. He was a very mysterious person. He hadn't really explained any of her questions yet. Why would he suddenly change his mind now?

The young intruder ducked inside and carried her past the desk over toward the bed, dumping her down on it none to kindly.

"Hey!" She shouted again, glaring daggers at him. In the darkness of her room his eyes glowed brightly like two miniature suns. "What was that for?"

His shoulders went up and down in a lazy half-shrug. "You said you'd like to see me try..."

She scoffed. "You know, Im getting the feeling that you're some kind of smart-ass."

He grinned again. "Oh, if you only knew."

_Which, you kind of do,_ was his after-thought. _Or at least you used to. _

"Well," he coughed awkwardly, noticing for the first time that they were alone in her room. Her scent was _everywhere_ and despite its soothing effect it put him on edge. "I'd better get going then."

He turned and headed for the window. He wanted to stay. Oh Kami how he wanted to stay. But he couldn't. The universe just wasn't on his side.

As he was about to leap out and head back home, Kagome spoke. Her voice much quieter this time. "Your never going to tell me your name or who you are..., are you?"

He didn't face her. Kagome watched his shoulders slump in what looked like sadness. "I cain't."

"And why not?"

He turned, his eyes finding her's over his shoulder; brown and gold clashing together. "Because you wouldn't want to know once you found out. You'd hate me again."

Kagome's frowned confusedly. _Again? What does he mean by 'again'? _

She stared at him, having the oddest sensation. The sensation to be nearer to him, to wrap her arms around his neck, allow herself to be swept away by him and...and...

"I don't think I could ever hate you," was the whispered reply.

The barest hint of a smile lifted up the corners of his lips. A ghost. A shadow. A memory of something that used to be making him smile. "You say that now. But if you only knew, you'd change your mind."

He inclined his head in a silent goodbye before turning back to the window and leaping out into the darkness of the night.

Kagome stayed awake until the late hours of the night, long after the stranger had gone, watching the stars scrape across the sky. Occasionally they'd wink at her, reminding her that everything would be okay. She eventually curled in on herself underneath the blankets, staring at the spot the boy had leapt out of her window. She wished he would re-appear. Wished he would just tell her who he was. Tell her something. _Anything. _

A few hours before the early pre-hours of dawn, two people snuggled into their bedding and fell asleep. And although both of their minds were filled with more thoughts then when they had met underneath the boughs of the Goshinboku, the slept the soundest then they'd had in the past few weeks.

* * *

**A/N: **

_Again, Im sorry this chapter was so short. I **hate **writing in short chapters but I wanted to leave you with something before I left for Anime Expo. I should be back in 1 to 2 weeks, depending on my upcoming __schedule which is keeping me unusually busy. _

_Next up:_

Threads That Bind

Mata ne!

_-Smed_

**・・・・**


	4. Chapter 3

**・****The Five-Hundred Year Difference****・**

| _A Inuyasha FanFiction |_

**Full Summary:**

Kagome Higurashi wakes in a hospital, only to find out she's been in a coma for two months. Questions naturally start buzzing around in her head. Why is she there? Why is she so confused? And who's the mysterious stranger that visits her in the middle of the night? But everything is forgotten when a strange new boy enrolls at her school. Why does her seem so familiar? And how does he know her name?

**_Author: _**SmedTheVagabond

**_Beta:_**_ GoldenEyedRamenLover _&_ YourGoldenEyes_

**_AuthorsNote:_**

_"Oh my glob! Smed, you're back so soon," you say? Well, actually, I am. Sooner than you thought, no? Im doing it because _**_YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING _**_and because I received so many kind and wonderful reviews, I decided to update while I'm still in California. And trust me, you all should be a little happy I'm doing this at all. The Wifi in the hotel Im staying at is sooooooo dodgy. Its making my computer all wonky. But I decided to do it because of you, my lovelies. I even spent most of my time on the plane ride writing._

_*Because you all are so kick-ass, everyone now has the opportunity to take five seconds to do a small, well-deserved, dance of excitement before we start this chapter.*_

_5...4...3..._**_2_**_..._**_2 1/2_**_..._**_2 3/4_**_...alright I just said five seconds. Not 20! You, in the third row to the left! You know Im talking to you! Yes, you! Stahp dancing!_

_Okay. Enough chit-chat. Its reading time._

_-Smed_

**・・・・**

_Am I the only FF Author that likes to write while simultaneously listening to the soundtrack of the fandom I'm writing about?_

_...yeah?_

_...Okay -_-_

* * *

**Chapter 3. Threads That Bind**

"Kagome! Hurry up or you'll be late for school!"

Kagome chucked a few more school supplies into her schoolbag distractedly. She didn't quite know what she'd be needing for her upcoming lessons exactly, but it was better to be safe than sorry about it later. She groped around some more in her desk, searching for her favorite purple pencil case.

"Kagome!" Her mother hollered again from somewhere downstairs. Sounded like she was in the kitchen.

Brown eyes were rolled as she continued flinging notebooks and pencils into the never ending abyss that was her backpack. "Im coming!" She shouted back as she continued her fast-paced routine.

She zipped the yellow monstrosity she called a backpack closed and luged it over her shoulder. But before she headed for the door, she presented herself at her floor-length mirror and forced a smile. Then frowned.

Even though it had been three weeks since she'd been discharged from the hospital, she hadn't exactly returned back to her normal self. Her limbs still seemed to be a bit gangly and she hadn't filled out in all the right places. Her school regulated sailor uniform was big in places it wasn't before; the green pleated skirt she wore didn't fit snugly on her hips anymore, and her white blouse with matching red neck tie was draped baggily around her. The only thing that _did _fit the same was her knee high socks. Everything else was to big.

Her hair was brushed and combed, free from any tangles and snarls and spilled over her shoulders in thick waves. She didn't really care for makeup and didn't use it too often, but decided on wearing a light layer of mascara and blush today. Couldn't hurt, seeing as how she still looked a bit sickly.

"Okay. You can do this," staring at her reflection, she gave herself one last minuet pep talk. "You'll make it through today, despite it only being a tuesday. You've made it through a coma for crying out loud. You can do anything."

"KA-GO-ME!" Her mother shouted, enunciating each syllable to stress her point. Clearly it was time to leave.

Kagome sighed and heaved her backpack higher onto her shoulder as she headed for the door.

Yet when she saw the necklace she'd found the other day sitting on her nightstand, she paused. For some odd reason she didn't want to leave home without the jewel. She'd barley taken the thing off since she'd found it, having felt that she needed to wear it at all times. She only removed it last night when she'd taken her bath.

She grabbed it quickly, securing it around her neck and stuffing the jewel underneath the neckline of her shirt.

Not wanting to lose her nerve and crawl back into the safety of her bedding, she moved out into the hallway, closing the door behind her. She took the stairs two at a time and headed down into the kitchen, toward the back door and past where her mother was waiting.

"Bye mom," she moved for the door, stopping only to slip on her favorite brown penny loafers.

Her mother gave her a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She was as nervous as her daughter was. "Have a good day at school."

Kagome slid open the back door and stepped out into the morning sunshine. Birds chirped happily overhead, the pale blue sky was dotted with a few dallying clouds here and there. A warm breeze was blowing despite it being three month's into the fall season.

"Ill try," she muttered, sending her mom a withering smile before closing the door behind her.

The young teen headed out, moving toward the main road that lead all the way to her school. She walked quietly, mulling over her upcoming day at school. Many uncertainties lay ahead and she didn't quite know what to make of them all.

Kagome was three blocks from her destination when someone suddenly called out for her in a shrill voice. She turned and found her three best friends, Ayumi, Eri and Yuka, all running from down the block, dodging in and out of the thick crowds on the sidewalk to catch up with her.

Setting a light mood for the morning, Ayumi smiled brightly as she finally caught up. "Kagome, hey! Good-morning." She wore her dark wavy hair naturally this morning, opting to have it loose around her face.

"Good-morning." The other two girls chimed in once they reached her as well.

Kagome smiled at her best friends. "Hey guys."

Eri looped her arm through Kagome's and began to lead her toward their school - Ayumi and Yuka trailing behind them. "I'm so glad you're back Kagome. We have been so worried about you. And are you sure you're okay now?" Eri turned and skewed a glanced at her. "Because if you're not, you can always take a few more days of absence. Im sure the school will understand if you're not feeling up to it."

Kagome waved away the comment like she was swatting away a fly. "Oh don't worry about it. Im fine, honestly. I've actually been feeling much better these past few days."

Kagome purposefully left out the part where she thought a strange, maybe hallucinatory, dog-eared person was following her. No need to freak out her friends, right? They might not think her sane.

Yuka grinned. "Well thats really good to hear. We just want to make sure you're okay."

Kagome felt a fuzzy warmth spread though her chest at her friends generosity. "Thanks."

"And speaking of _fine_," Ayumi piped in. "Did you see the new student yesterday? He looked so cool on that motorcycle of his."

Eri giggled to herself, starring at the ground, trying to hide an apparent blush. "Yeah. We noticed."

"But did you see the way he was glaring at our gym teacher again? I mean what was _that _about?" Ayumi continued.

Yuka shrugged half-heartedly, Eri continued to giggle while trying to take the attention off her face which had gone as red and obvious as a firetruck, and Kagome stared at all of them with a pinched brow, the only one seemingly confused.

"Um," Kagome spoke up, unable to be ignorant to the topic at hand any longer, "what are you guys talking about?"

Eri turned to her once her blush had faded. "Haven't you heard? I would have thought that one of these blabbermouths -" she jutted her chin in the direction of the two walking behind them, "would've said something to you already." When Kagome shook her head, Eri too it upon herself to clarify. "We have a new student in our class."

"...Along with a few new teachers that were hired for the new school-year. We have a cute new Gym teacher, a nice History teacher with odd hair, and a really cool new Home Ec. teacher." Ayumi ticked off the list of new teachers with her fingers. "I guess I didn't realize just how much you've been missing, Kagome."

Kagome frowned thoughtfully. She _had _been missing quite a lot it appeared. "Well tell me about him then," she said after a while of silent walking.

"Who?" Yuka asked.

"The new guy of course."

They were only a block away from their school when Ayumi and Eri suddenly swooped in from no where, taking Kagome by the shoulders and turning her toward the direction of the busy street-way. Seeing as he was kind of hard to miss, Kagome's eyes easily found the person they were trying to have her spot.

Paused at a stoplight, sat a guy sitting atop a sleek black motorcycle. The motorcyclist wore a black uniform - the twin uniform of the girls uniforms that was required to be worn during school hours. What put him apart from all the other motorcyclist on the street though, was the blazing red helmet that shielded his face, a matching red backpack, and the bike he sat on, looking like he cost a small fortune. Somehow, even with a helmet on the guy looked sexy.

"_That,_" Eri smirked when she saw Kagome's mouth pop open, "would be the new kid."

The light suddenly turned green and the cyclist was off in the direction of the school faster than any of the other cars, shooting through the intersection like a bat out of hell.

Mindlessly, and without another word spoken, all four girls glanced amongst themselves before following the new student's lead and hurrying on for class.

-:-:-:-:-

Rocking impatiently on the balls of her feet, Kagome huffed out a tired sigh. Already her back was starting to hurt from standing so long with her heavy backpack weighing down her shoulders. Seriously, what was taking so long? At this rate, she would be marked tardy on her first day back at school.

"Way to start things off, Higurashi," she muttered dryly under her breath.

Because she had been absent from school for so long, she didn't know her schedule for the new semester. Having been the only one who needed a new syllabus, she had broken away from her group of friends once they'd reached the school grounds. The girls had offered to come with her, but she declined. Kind as it may have been, she needed some time to herself, a moment to breathe.

She had traveled through the packed hallways, bumping into familiar faces, gaining hugs from people who informed her they had had missed her and people she had longed to see, others telling her just how concerned they had been for her wellbeing. Some even said they had prayed for her.

_How weird, _she had thought. _I don't even know some of these people._

Once she made it through the crowds, she'd pushed her way into the office and wandered her way up to the front desk...only to find it unoccupied. A small _we'll be back in five minuets. Please take a seat, _sign sat in the receptionists place.

Kagome glanced at the wall clock that hung above the offices main door habitually. _7:43._

She groaned. "Great. Only seven minuets until Im late. Fantastic."

Suddenly, from the back room where the principals office was located, came a loud _BANG! _followed by the muffled sound of voices shouting at one another. Kagome leaned toward the door like the nosey teen she was. She couldn't quite make out the words, but she didn't think she really wanted to. It sounded like a pretty heated discussion.

A few more crashes were heard, followed by the sound of stomping feet. And then the principals door opened with a flourish, revealing a man that looked to be in his early twenties. Kagome noticed that he was wearing a posh suit as he stepped out into the main office. Clearly, whomever he was 'talking' to was putting him through the ringer, however. His black tie was askew, like he'd been tugging on it subconsciously, one of his shoelaces was undone and his eyes were wild.

But despite this, his presence in the room commanded authority. The mere frame of him looked like he towered above the world. He had long hair, longer than any girls Kagome knew, that was as inky dark as the midnight sky. It cascaded down his broad shoulders, past lean hips and pooled around strong ankles. And if the abstract hair wasn't enough, high cheekbones set this mans face apart from any other, his muddy hazel eyes flashing with intent. His strong jaw was clenched with irritation.

The principal.

"...and don't you dare take that tone of voice with me!" He pointed a strong finger in the direction of his office; at the person who was causing the man to act slightly out of character. "I don't care how upset you are, nor do I care how frustrated you are by this situation. _You_ put yourself here. And like the saying goes, 'you made the bed. Now you must lie in it.'"

Suddenly feeling a pair of eyes on him and noting for the first time that morning that he was not, in fact, alone, the man turned and Kagome unexpectedly found herself gazing into the eyes of the authoritative man. His sharp eyes widened slightly as they focused on the girl who had been watching the argument happen, and then narrowed knowingly. His mouth formed a tight line.

"But this is bullshit and you know it!" The other voice shouted from inside the doorway. "Now either you fix this shit or I'm gonna-" The sentence trailed off as the voice was suddenly accompanied by a face as the person stomped out from the office and stopped dead upon seeing Kagome standing there, all traces of anger vanishing visibly. It was a young man that was late in his teens.

The guys hair was onyx and dark, if not darker, than the principals. It fell past his muscled shoulders in layers, settling right about his hips. His jawline was defined, as well as his eyes. Murky eyes, dark as coffee grounds, were highlighted by thick eyelashes. And they were gained in obvious surprise, focused on... Kagome.

Kagome sat there, not sure what to say to the two men starring at her. But despite the somewhat uncomfortable situation, she suddenly understood how a student could get away with talking to the principal in that way. They were obviously related somehow. The two of them had many strong similarities that were just to uncanny for them not to be.

The rebellious onyx-haired teen floundered pathetically for a few more seconds before he seemed to collect himself - not removing his gaze from Kagome - and gathered his backpack and helmet from the floor by the principals mahogany desk.

Kagome's eyes widened in recognition. That was the same red helmet and backpack that the 'new guy' had been wearing. Kagome cocked her head to the side and studied every little move he made. This was him?

He shouldered his bag and turned, pausing when he saw her starring intently at him. Kagome squeaked quietly and tried to casually look _anywhere _that wasn't the young mans face or body, which of course made her look anything but casual.

_Nice, Kagome. Stare at him while a small drop of drool runs down your chin. Im sure he likes that. _She peeked a glance out of the corner of her eye and saw the young man doing the same; staring at her. _But now I can see what all of the fuss is about. He's gorgeous! _She blushed and started fiddling with her backpack strap, tying to conceal the slight blush that was burning her cheeks.

The young teen sputtered awkwardly. "Well anyway, I better be getting to class. Don't want to be late for that english essay that needs to be finished written," he laughed uncomfortably, rubbing a hand behind his neck and backtracking toward the main office door.

"Just get out of here, boy." The principal waved a distracted hand at him, still trying to figure Kagome out.

He glared at the principal at the use of the word _boy,_ growling in agitation."Listen here you-"

The principal brought up a scolding finger, effectively cutting him off. "Ah, ah, ah. I'd watch my tongue if I were you."

Grumbling to himself about "no nothing, jackass principals" and "stupid, good for nothing idiot family members," the boy moved past her for the door. With a lingering look, he shoved open the office door, not breaking eye contact with Kagome until the very last second, before disappearing into the congested hallway.

"Im sorry about that. He can be a bit of a challenge, even on his good days."

Kagome glanced up as the man started speaking with her and she smiled warmly, offering her hand so they could have a more formal meeting. "That alright. Anyways, I'm Kagome. Its a pleasure to meet you."

The man grasped her hand firmly, still boring his gaze into hers, unsmiling. In fact, his face was so stoney and expressionless, Kagome thought maybe it was permanently stuck that way.

"Its quite nice to meet you as well," a smirk threatened at the edge of his lips, "_Kagome."_

As if he knew what she had come to the office for, he suddenly pivoted on his back foot, walked toward the receptionists still empty desk and rummaged around until he pulled out a file with her name on it. Enclosed inside were a few papers, missing homework assignments and her new daily schedule.

Handing them over to her he said, "Its your first day back. Try not to push yourself to hard, hmm? I know for a fact that your comma took a lot out of you, and we wouldn't want you getting into anything that would cause you more absence's now would we?"

His eyes narrowed just slightly, a mere tick that she found incredibly freighting. Kagome was no idiot. She knew was he was trying to say. He was warning her. But however 'discreet' he was trying to be, she had no idea what he was trying to warn her about.

Gulping audibly, she nodded like an obedient servant. "Yes." Her eyes widened and she shook her head. "I mean no! No, I don't. I mean, I don't know what I mean. Im just-"

He brought up a hand, silencing her. "I understand. Now," he ushered her toward the door, "you should be heading to class. I wouldn't want to cause you to be late for your first day back."

Kagome pushed open the door with her elbow and smiled back at him. "Thanks. And thanks for gathering my new schedule for me."

With that little issue said and done, the principal clasped his hands behind his back and inclined his head nonchalantly. "You're welcome."

Glancing back, Kagome stepped out in to the hallway, watching as a rare grin formed on his face. There was something...something vaguely familiar about that man. Shrugging, for there wasn't much she could do about it, Kagome turned and glanced down at her schedule as she continued onward down the now empty halls, trying to get a better feel for her first day.

Without further warning, Kagome bumped into the hard shoulder of someone going the opposite direction. The two lone figurers in the hallway clashed before rebounding, falling to the ground and dropping all of their belongings that they had been clutching. The person Kagome had collided with grumbled angrily as papers he'd been holding in his hands went flying about, scattering around the two of them like falling snowflakes.

"Ow," she moaned, rubbing her smarting backside. She'd fallen hard onto the smooth tile of the hallway floor and she was sure, by the shooting pain that was firing up and down her left leg, she'd be bruised like a cheap peach come morning.

"Hey!" The other passerby snarled in a raspy voce, clearly offended for some reason."Don't you watch where your going?"

Kagome snorted in annoyance, scrambling to gather her own papers that had fallen in the small scuffle. But without missing a beat she replied, "Don't _you?"_

Shifting her weight, Kagome pushed herself onto her knees and started to pick up all of her things. Which was no easy task considering all of the intermixed sheets looked exactly the same.

When she was just about finished, she reached to grab the last paper just as the other person did the same, their finger's brushing agains't one another. Gasping as a electrified jolt shot up and down her arm, Kagome glanced up at the same time the other figure did, and they both stopped moving abruptly, their eyes finding each other's.

Kagome's mouth went painfully dry as they continued to blink at each other, neither daring to say anything, for that would interrupt the silence that had seemingly fallen over them.

It was him. The grouchy new guy that had been arguing with the principal.

Kagome wanted to roll her eyes at the cliche-ness of it all. Figures.

-:-:-:-:-

He huffed, rocking impenitently on the balls of his feet. His shoulders were starting to ache from having to hold onto his heavier-then-hell bag and his helmet. He would've jammed all of his crap into his locker before class, seeing as the situation he was currently in was something he was trying to avoid, but he hadn't gotten the chance. He had 'business' that needed to be taken care of with the 'principal'.

With an indignant snort, he rolled his eyes at the stupid situation. How the hell had _he _gotten into this mess?

Glancing at the clock, he suppressed a groan. _7:34. _Great. He was going to be late at this rate! Seriously, what the heck was taking so long?

His eyes flickered over toward the pudgy office receptionist, watching as she stuffed her face with cream filled donuts. She suddenly spilled some filling onto the front of her blouse and she removed herself from her desk and headed toward the restroom, setting a small informant sign on her desktop in her absence.

He made a face at the unneeded sign. Was that really necessary? Would anybody truly notice that she'd left?

The principals door opened suddenly and out walked the head honcho himself. Chin lifted with pride, shoulder's straight with intent, the principal narrowed his gaze on the teen, bringing up his pointer and middle finger together, making a clear _get in here _motion.

He sneered while trying not to hiss at the guy. God, he hated it when he did that.

Nevertheless, he shuffled into the office obediently. There was no point in arguing with the man about his annoying little habits which, if you asked him, were far to many to name. They had far too many other things to discuss.

Without much more decorum, he flopped down into one of the two empty chairs sitting before the large desk that sat in the middle of the room and made himself right at home. Plaques, degrees, trophy's, pictures of the Principal shaking hands with important people, and awards of honor were hung up on the beige colored walls, signifying the mans importance.

Scoffing at the guys showboating, he flexed his arms behind his head and leaned the chair back onto two legs. "Got enough ego booster's in here, do 'ya?"

The principal cast him a warning glare, unfazed by the attempt to ruffle his feathers and placed himself behind his desk. "Well aren't you particularly snarky this morning. Usually you aren't this crass until _after _the school hours have begun."

The boy shrugged care-freely. "You could call it that. Or you could call it severe sarcasm for that stupid gym teacher you hired." He kicked his booted feet up onto the desk, causing a few loose pencils to go rolling around.

The principal pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes like an oncoming shit-storm was brewing. "Ugh. Not this again."

The teen suddenly jerked up from his slouch and slapped his hands against the desktop, gaining the full attention of his 'superior'. "Yes, _this _again. You _have _to fire that good for nothing wolf! We can't have him be around Kagome. God only knows how he'll act after seeing her for the first time in five-hundred years."

An elegant eyebrow was raised amusedly at the boys suddenly gruff tone of voice. "Kind of like how _you've _been acting? Stalking her, watching her, barley taking enough time for yourself away from her?" When the teens eyes grew wide, the principal nodded knowingly. "Yes, thats right. I've been watching you."

"Thats-" he faltered as his face fell, his cheeks flushing at the accusations."Thats different," he mumbled, staring down at his shoes.

But it wasn't different. Unfortunately for him the cocky bastard sitting in front of him was right. He _had_ being doing all of those things. He was guilty as sin. He felt his hand clench into a fist spasmodically. Damn it all, he couldn't help it! He'd wanted to remain away, knew it was the right thing to do. And yet...

"You just cant stay away from her can you, little brother?" The man said, seeing raw emotions flash before his baby brother's eyes. It was a stupid question, for he already knew the answer.

He stared up at him with a deadpan look on his face. "Keh. Do you seriously think I'd be enrolled at this dinky little school if I didn't? Wearing this-" he gestured toward the black uniform he donned, "If I could help it?"

Choosing to ignore the little dig about the 'dinky little school,' the principal leaned forward, steepling his hands in front of him, narrowing his gaze on something red that was sticking of 'his students' front breast pocket. It was tucked neatly, pinned to look like a folded handkerchief. "Whats that? Thats not part of the uniform."

Placing a gentle hand over the pocket-square, which was folded right over his heart, he mumbled, "A ripped piece of the fire-robe. Kagome had it clutched in her hands when I found her at her shrine when she..." He glanced away, unable to finish his thought or sentence. The fresh memory was to painful for him to bear.

The elder brother cleared his throat and stood, effectively making him the dominant one in the room. "Be that as it may, I'm not firing the wolf."

The teenager stomped his foot like a petulant child that wouldn't be allowed to get dessert if he didn't eat all of his vegetables. "And why not?"

"Because..." The elder figure growled, annoyed at having to explain this situation again."Despite what you might think, Ōkami has been training the track team very efficiently. He's somehow managed to secure our schools team into the first place slot out of all the other regional schools. He's been a wonderful addition to the schools faculty."

The boy crossed his arms and his trademark scowl made an appearance. "Hmmph. I still think he's pretty useless."

A rare smirk, small as it may have been, tugged at the edges of his brothers lips. "Thats only because he torments you while your in his class."

"You see! Right there!" He pointed an accusatory finger. "You know about what that bastard has been doing to me in class. I want him out!" Pushing up from his spot, he stood, trying to make himself taller...and failing miserably at it.

The principal tugged at his tie irritatedly, like it was a noose that was encircling to tightly about his throat. "Thats not your decision to make! I make the rules around here. Im in charge! Not you!"

"Dammit!" The boy cussed angrily, reaching for the first thing in his reach - an unlucky porcelain vase - and hurling it at the office wall, shattering it.

"Inuyasha!" Sesshomaru roared, reaching for the scruff on his little brother's neck and shaking him slightly. "Stop it!"

Inuyasha stood on his tip-toes, going nose to nose with Sesshomaru. "Not until you fire that idiot!"

"Get over yourself! Koga is not going to go after Kagome! He's married now, remember? You were at his wedding?"

"So? That doesn't mean that shit for brains is not gonna try anything. I don't trust him!"

Sesshomaru took a deep inhale and let go of his collar, shoving his little brother aside. He strode toward the door with a deep frown marring his features. "Not everything is about you, you know."

Inuyasha sneered sarcastically as he tried to straighten himself out. "Well fuck you too."

Sesshomaru stepped out into the main hallway and turned back toward his brother who stood his ground, fuming by the front of his desk. "And don't take that tone of voice with me!" He pointed his finger at Inuyasha who looked like he could care less about his brother's threats. "I don't care how upset you are, nor do I care how frustrated you are by this situation. _You_ put yourself here. And like the saying goes, 'you made the bed. Now you must lie in it.'"

"But this is bullshit and you know it!" Inuyasha shouted. "Now either you fix this shit or I'm gonna-" His sentence trailed off as he stepped out from Sesshomaru's office and stopped dead, going ramrod straight upon seeing none other than Kagome standing in the middle of the office.

Her eyes had gone wide in surprise at seeing him, a rather cute blush tinting her pale cheeks. She squealed quietly as he continued to stare incoherently, his mouth agape. He glanced discreetly from Sesshomaru, who had started starring at her as well, and back to Kagome.

He fought off a breathy sigh. She looked beautiful this morning and nothing was stopping him from scooping her into his arms and kissing her…Except the fact that she had no idea who he was and would probably scream bloody-murder if some strange hoodlum, who was _still _staring at her, suddenly came up and kissed her.

Realizing he was acting completely stupid, he swallowed and quickly collected his things which sat by Sessomaru's desk. Shouldering his bag, he froze when he caught Kagome gazing at him curiously.

He suddenly felt subconscious. Did he have something in his teeth? Was his fly down? Did he have helmet hair or something? Why was she _still staring?_

Knowing their was little more to do about the situation, he started stumbling over his words embarrassingly. "Well anyway I should be getting to class. Don't want to be late for that english essay that still needs to be finished!"

He started laughing uncontrollably, rubbing a hand behind his neck and stepping back toward the door. All the while wishing a bolt of lighting would miraculously strike through the building, killing him on the spot and ending his misery.

Why was he acting like such a complete and utter dunderhead? His bright eyes flickered Kagome's way and found her peeking out from underneath her eyelashes….at him. Oh, right. _That _was why; Kagome.

Sesshomaru waved a distracted had in his direction. He didn't even spare a glance as he muttered, "just get to class, boy."

Sneering intently at his brother, he snarled, "Listen here you-"

Sesshomaru suddenly turned toward him, bringing his pointer finger up in a condescending way. "Ah, ah, ah. I would watch my tongue if I were you." His expression stayed the same - stoney and unflinching. But his eyes, which where usually just as dull and unaffected, were ablaze with humor and glee. He was actually _tormenting _him.

Knowing there was no way he wanted to make a scene in front of Kagome (seeing as how he'd already made an ass of himself), he growled and begrudgingly stomped his way to the door. "Stupid, no nothing 'principal.' I hate my stupid, idiotic family..."

At the last second, he caught Kagome's curious gaze as he pushed his way out into the crowded hallway, only looking away from her because his neck couldn't swivel in her direction anymore.

Sighing in relief, he let the office door swing close behind him and heaved his bag up higher onto his shoulder. Sure he hadn't really resolved the little 'Koga infestation,' as he liked to call it, with Sesshomaru. And sure he didn't make a real good first impression on Kagome. He'd acted like a stumbling, bumbling fool. He mentally slapped his forehead for that memorable moment as he ket walking. How stupid had he been?

But, despite all that, a small grin finagled its way to his lips. It was official. He was now Kagome's classmate.

As soon as his brain fully processed this information, and as soon as it came, his smirk was gone. Oh, god, he was her freaking _classmate _now. How juvenile was that? He was a seven-hundred and nineteen year old man! And now he was going to high-school?! He groaned out loud, forced to swallow the hard pill of truth before making himself shuffle on.

Inuaysha had been enrolled in school for two weeks now, and that time alone was enough to make him want to tear his hair out. However, he'd been the one to enroll himself. No one had forced him, so there wasn't much that could be said about that. But every time he thought about being Kagome's classmate, he fought to the urge to scream. It was a maddening situation he'd put himself in.

Heading up one flight of stairs, he headed for his locker. When he reached it, he entered the combo and swung open the metal monstrosity before gazing at himself thoughtfully into the little compact mirror he had plastered onto the inside of the locker wall.

He frowned at his pitiful reflection. He looked so...human. Everything about him reeked of human. Even his demon scent had vanished. Sweeping his hair away from his neck, he gazed at the small stud earring that sparkled proudly in his ear. Damn, Totosai was good.

Both he and Sesshomaru had two concealing charms commissioned a few hundred ears ago, when demons started going into hiding. The world was ever changing and people didn't believe in such things anymore, much to Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's annoyance. Just like all the demons throughout history, they faded into the vortex of time and became myths and were forced into hiding. However, with the charms, they could take on human appearances and go out in public, blending in with society.

But using the charms came with a great responsibility. Every time they settled down, made a good home for themselves and started to prosper, they had to pick up and leave again, otherwise people would start getting suspicious as to why they weren't aging. They were demons after all, and as such, aged at the rate of a snail crossing a long highway. It took hundreds of years for a full blooded demon to grow fully and mature. And even then, they usually have a terminal growth.

Sesshomaru and Inuaysha's father, the great and powerful Inu no Taishō, was over three-thousand years old and had no more and no less than three prominent wrinkles on his forehead. Inuaysha doubted he'd even get two.

He hadn't had a growth spurt in a few hundred years but he doubted he grow much bigger. He was only half-demon, human on his mother's side. And he figured, seeing as how he stood at a tall six-foot two, he was done with growth spurts.

Sesshomaru, on the other hand, was neck breaking six-foot four, and was still not done with growing. Every three hundred years or so he'd grow another inch or two, annoying his little brother out of his wits.

Both their charms were forged to look like everyday accessories. Sesshomaru's was a fancy looking wrist watch and Inuyasha's was the sparkling stud in his ear. Both hand-made by the old wandering man known as Totosai.

While Sesshomaru had been the one to come up with such a brilliant idea as a concealing charm, as he was sick and tired of "being forced into hiding like a common rat," and had been the one to seek Totosai out, Inuyasha hadn't even seen the man in hundreds of years. Inuyasha really didn't know how the crotchety old fart-bag hadn't kicked the bucket yet, but wasn't one to ask questions. As long as the charms worked and no one could know of his hanyōu blood, he didn't need to know.

But looking at his human appearance made him irritated, as it usually did, seeing as how being human made him substantially vulnerable. How he longed to tell Kagome about him and about them, about their shared past. And the situation was starting to take a nose-dive now that Koga had been tossed into the mix.

Anger still boiling hotly underneath his cool exterior, he pounded a hand on the locker next to his, denting it. He flinched, stepping back and starring at his handiwork. Oops. He shrugged, realizing his brother was the principal and he really couldn't get into to much trouble.

Grabbing his homework folder, he shut his locker with a satisfying _slam! _and grabbed his bag, speed walking back down they way he'd came. His first class for the day was, unfortunately, history, and he was _not _going to be late. His history teacher, a fiery, smart mouthed, redheaded devil, was especially hard on him and would _not _accept any form of tardiness without a signed hall pass or some sort of tangible reason for being late.

Inuaysha scoffed, rounding the staircase corner, his biker boots squeaking loudly on the polished flooring. He glanced down at the papers in his hands, fingering through the contents for last nights homework and not watching where he was going, when he suddenly slammed into someone walking the opposite direction, causing him to go careening backwards, the papers in his hands scattering around him as he collapsed to the floor with a grunt.

Forcing himself onto his elbows, he stared at his papers which were all over the hallway floor, as the other person groaned. "Hey!" He snarled irritably at the idiot. "Don't you watch where you're going?!"

As he started gathering an armful of papers, the other person snapped back in a high pitched voice, "Don't you?!"

Faltering slightly in his work to gather his homework at the sound of her voice, he grunted mutely. Huh. So the idiot he run into was a girl.

Just as he was reaching to grab the last paper, so did she, their fingertips brushing accidentally and the air around them changed abruptly.

Inuyasha's head snapped up so fast he swore he'd given himself whiplash. An all to familiar, tingling sensation had rushed through his body at the contact form their hands brushing. And only one person had ever made him feel that way.

Kagome sat on the backs of her knees, staring in a similar fashion he figured he was gaping at her. Time sat still, the world slowing as the two mirrored each other as they regained their balance and got to their feet, continuing to hold onto the edges of the same paper.

Kagome blinked, realizing she was acting completely foolish and took a step back, releasing her edge. "I, uh...sorry 'bout that. That must be yours."

Miraculously, Inuyasha tore his gaze off of her and looked down at the sheet before glancing back up, trying to play it cool. "Actually," he handed the paper back, "its yours."

"Oh, "she blushed in embarrassment, grabbing it from him and adding it to all the others. "Thanks."

His eyes bore into her, watching as she nervously tucked a tray hair behind her ear, shyly staring at him underneath her thick eyelashes. "No problem."

They continued on with gazing at each other awkwardly. Kagome chewed on her bottom lip nervously and Inuyasha was trying not to capture that lip between his teeth. He decided to make the first move and offered his free hand to her.

"Im Inuyasha, by the way. Inuyasha Takahashi." He inwardly pumped his fist into the air and did a foolish dance of victory. How good it felt to tell her his name. How liberating it was to be somewhat honest with her.

"Inuyasha," she muttered, testing the unique name on her tongue.

He smirked, a dimple appearing in his cheek, as she continued to mouth his name silently. "And you are...?" He asked, playing dumb, letting a dark eyebrow raise questioningly.

She smiled softly, offering her hand as well. "Kagome Higurashi."

Stepping forward, wanting to be closer, he grasped her hand and let out a sigh of happiness and relief. Finally.

Their hands met and a strange sort of magic washed over the pair, sending sparks flying up and down Kagome's body, ending in the very tips of her fingertips and toes. The overwhelming and odd sense of déjà vu overthrew her, making her heart thrash wildly underneath her breastbone, nearly knocking her off her feet. Her legs wobbled unsteadily and she looked up questioningly, silently asking him for some sort of explanation for the strange sensation. But all she received was a roguish grin, as if he had anticipated that kind of reaction.

"Kagome," he hummed huskily and she nearly fell over again. "Nice to meet you."

Fighting off a blush, she grinned. "You too."

Noticing for the first time that they were staring, still alone, and now late for class, Inuyasha coughed and reluctantly let go of her hand as he took a step back.

"Well I should get going," she admitted on a sigh, yet made no attempt to move in either direction down the hallway.

He nodded in agreement, though had no intention of moving either. "Yeah."

A high pitched bell rang throughout the hallway suddenly and Inuyasha groaned at the bad timing. He wanted more time with her.

"It was nice talking with you, Inuyasha," she said as she started heading toward her first class, walking backward so she could keep eye contact as she did so.

He started, nervous about leaving her. "Whats your first class? Maybe I can walk you there?" At her somewhat puzzled look, he quickly added, "You know 'cuz these hallways can get pretty dangerous after the first bell. People stealing lunch money from innocent nerds, jocks pushing kids into lockers. You know; usual high-school crap." He gave her his best smoldering look that usually had all the girls melting like putty in his hands. "I wouldn't want you getting hurt."

Kagome giggled but kept going. "History. I have history first.

Doing yet another mental, celebratory dance, Inuyasha smirked devilishly and started after her with a lazy gait. "What a coinkydink. So do I." He shrugged hopelessly, like he was nothing but a nuisance to everyone. "You're stuck with me I guess."

She snickered again, still walking backward so she could look at him. "Shame, really."

They continued onward, Inuaysha eventually catching up to her so she didn't have to walk backward. Just as they started for the stairs, Kagome muttered more to herself then him, "I feel like I know you," and Inuyasha froze a few steps below her, his eyes glazing over as he stared at nothing in particular.

"You...do?"

Unfazed by his reaction, Kagome nodded. "Yeah. I have this…sense that I've known you for a while now." She glanced back at him, grinning. "Weird, huh?

He chuckled humorlessly and mentally bit his tongue so he wouldn't say anything he'd regret later. "Yeah. Weird."

Moving up the stairs she said, "Maybe in a past life, yeah?"

She wasn't looking his way, so she didn't catch the weird glint in his eye, or the way he grinned knowingly. "Yeah. Maybe in the past ."

-:-:-:-:-

Students should be allowed more time to and from their classes Kagome decided as she and Inuyasha stood in the doorway to their history class. People who were smart enough to arrive to class on time shifted in their desks to let their eyes fall on them as the duo arrived. Late.

"Glad to see you joined us, Mr. Takahashi." Their teacher muttered dryly, not even glancing at them as he peered out the only window in the classroom, his hands folded behind his back. Kagome didn't know how he'd realized they'd arrived. He hadn't looked their way.

"I was just clinging onto the edge of my seat, waiting to see if you'd show up." He continued, glancing down at the watch sitting on his wrist, his unusually bright hair falling over his cheeks. "And you're late..._again._ Surprise, surprise. Thats what? The _fifth _time you've been tardy... this semester alone?"

Inuyasha, clenching his backpack strap so hard his knuckles turned white, grit out, "Look, Im sorry. Okay? But I _ran_ into Kagome here," he glanced at her out the corner of his eye and smirked at their private little joke of literally running into one another, "and she needed help getting to class so I-"

"Inuyasha I know when I speak for everyone here when I say that I would _love _to sit down, make myself a cup of tea, get nice and cozy and discuss your personal history..." A few chuckles and murmurs trickled throughout the room at that. "But we do have an agenda, notes that need to be taken and a pop quiz that needs to be finished. So, if your done chatting our ears off, I will kindly ask you to sit down and shut up."

Going beat red in embarrassment, Inuyasha huffed, glaring dagger's at the back of their teacher's head before stomping loudly to his desk, plopping himself down into the plastic chair, all the while muttering angrily under his breath.

Even though he was still facing the window, Kagome could just barely see the reflection of their rather odd teacher in the glass. On his lips was a mischievous grin, causing his nose to tweak ever so slightly.

"And you must be none other than Kagome. Correct?"

Kagome squeaked as he suddenly started addressing her. Confused, as he still hadn't turned or even looked her way, Kagome glanced over to Inuyasha for help, sending him a silent look that read _what's going on?_

The rather grumpy looking teen merely shrugged, but there was something knowing in his eyes. His mouth twitched slightly, as if he wanted to say more about the man but couldn't.

"Y-yes. I'm Kagome." She squeaked. Why was she so nervous? He was just a teacher after all. There was nothing to be afraid of...right?

He suddenly pivoted on his back foot and faced her, that almost naughty smile never leaving his face. "Well, its a pleasure to finally meet you."

Kagome gasped quietly, taking a small step backward toward the hall. His eyes...they were the color of emeralds. The greenest, brightest eyes she'd ever seen. That fact alone wasn't what elicited the gasp from her though. No.

It was the way he was _looking _at her.

Those green eyes, like green lasers that glow in the dark, were gazing upon her intensely as if he knew every dark secret, every mystery there was to her. As if he knew her better than she knew herself.

Fiery red hair, as bright and strikingly auburn as dying leaves in the fall, fell in front of his face in ragged bangs, tied at the nape of his neck with a bright blue hair tie, a few tendrils falling loosely in front of his ears. His skin was a translucent alabaster, furthering the drastic pop his hair and eyes had. He wore black slacks, covering obviously well toned leg and calf muscles, even noticeable through the dark material. A vibrant green vest covered his chest and a long white dress shirt underneath.

He was young, and couldn't have been much older than herself. Kagome idly wondered just how young he was. He looked to be in his late teens to early twenties. A very odd age for a teacher.

_Well, _Kagome thought to herself, _he's definitely not like all the other teacher's. Thats for sure._

"Pleasure to meet you as well, Mr...?" She trailed, fishing for a name.

He chucked deeply in the back of his throat. "Mr. Kitsune." His glowing eyes narrowed slightly, searching her expression for something. When he didn't seem to find it, whatever it was, he said with a sharp, motivated clap of his hands, "Now that we've been properly introduced, Ill kindly ask you to take your seat so we can continue on with our lesson."

She continued to stare blankly at him. And he realized she didn't have an assigned seat yet, so he gestured toward the only empty spot in the room; a seat directly across from Inuyasha.

Still a bit apprehensive about her new professor, she followed his gesture and weaved in and out of her classmates desks until she reached her spot and sat herself down, not seeing the grin twisting at the comers of Inuyasha's lips.

Pulling her supplies out of her bag, she cracked open the history book sitting in front of her and flipped to the assigned chapters before jotting the required notes in her notebook. As soon as she had finished doing that task, she set them aside.

Reaching for the quiz, she sighed heavily. _Man, am I going to totally bomb this quiz or what?_

She wasn't nearly as prepared as she should have been. She hadn't studied in two months! She was so far behind. Momentarily, she entertained in the idea of banging her head on her desk in frustration to induce another comma, but decided against it. What good would that do, really?

"Well," she muttered as she opened the quiz, "here goes nothing."

She found out all too quickly that the quiz was set on the fudel era Japan; more specifically the Sengoku period. She resisted a groan as she flipped lazily through the rest of the quiz, seeing what she was going up against. She knew absolutely _nothing _about the warring states era. She combed her finger's through her bangs and slouched in her chair. What was she supposed to do now?

A warm prickling sensation burned at the under side of her neck and Kagome stiffened slightly, realizing it was the subconscious sensation of eyes watching her. She turned slightly, finding Inuyasha's gaze on her. He was watching her closely, his half lidded eyes hidden underneath his bangs. When she caught his shamelessly starring at her however, he jumped, and pretended to be checking the time on the wall clock above her head before turning back to his unfinished quiz.

She shook her head and chuckled quietly to herself and followed his lead, turning her attention to the quiz sitting in front of her. She frowned down at the first set of questions, twiddling her pencil between her fingers. But the closer she looked at the quiz, the more her frown disappeared.

"I know the answer," she whispered to herself, surprised.

After answering the first question she moved to the second...and then the third, answering all the questions with ease.

_How am I doing this? _she thought, flipping to the next page of the quiz. Her classmates had barely even made it through the first few questions. _How do I know all of the answer's?_

She felt it again, that subconscious sensation of someone starring at her. When she glanced up she found Mr. Kitsune eyeing her thoughtfully, a slight smirk at his lips. His eyebrow rose slightly and he inclined his head ever so slightly, like he knew she was doing well on the test, and had expected nothing less.

The rest of the class flew by without much incident, save for the occasional sensation of eyes on her. But she ignored it, and continued to barrel through the quiz. When the hour was over and class was finished, Kagome pushed up from her seat as everyone piled out from the room, grabbed her things and made her way to the front desk.

Mr Kitsune sat behind his desk as Kagome brought up her finished quiz and set it on the pile of other finished quizzes.

As she shifted for the door, Mr. Kitsune spoke. "Mrs. Higurashi?"

She turned, glancing over her shoulder. "Yes? Sir?"

He leaned forward and folded his hands on his desk in a professional looking manor. His eyes were serious, his mouth devoid of his usual grin. "If you need any help or feel like you're falling behind, I want you to know I'd be more than happy to help you." His emerald eyes narrowed even further. "Don't hesitate to ask me for anything."

"Or you can always ask for my help." Inuyasha smirked lopsidedly as he sauntered up to the front desk and placed his quiz on top of Kagome's. He bumped his hip into hers cheekily and she giggled softly despite herself. "Im a wiz at this history crap."

Mr. Kitsune faltered slightly. "Excuse me? Did you really just call our lessons 'history crap?'"

Inuyasha's grin turned smug as he leaned closer to their teacher. "Do I need to repeat myself..." his eyes narrowed knowingly. "_Sir_?"

Mr. Kitsune pointed sharply toward a seat int he front of the class, clearly having enough of his students smart-mouth. "Sit." He demanded. It wasn't a request. "You've just earned yourself detention this afternoon, Mr. Takahashi. Right now though, I would like to have a word with you."

The male teen gaped. "What?"

Knowing that was her cue, Kagome started for the door. "Thank you for the offer Mr. Kitsune." He nodded his acknowledgment before she turned her attention back on Inuyasha. "Ill see you later."

Inuyasha nodded grumpily and slouched down in the chair Mr. Kitsune had instructed him to as Kagome slipped out of the classroom and headed toward her next class.

-:-:-:-:-

"What are you doing!?" He shouted as soon as the door shut after her. "Did you eat a heaping, helping bowl of stupid for breakfast this morning?!" Mr. Kitsune growled as he paced the length of his desk. He rubbed a hand over his forehead, forcefully pushing his bangs up.

Inuyasha sighed in exhaustion and rubbed his fists over his eyes tiredly. This kind of conversation from the 'higher ups' was getting old. "C'mon. Cut me some slack. I haven't spoken to her in five-hundred years. I just wanted to talk to her."

The teacher stopped pacing and stared at the teen incredulously. "Inuyasha, I know your going though a tough time right now. And I know how much you've missed her. Don't you realize just how much _I've_ missed her? I've missed her so much, it aches sometimes just thinking about her. But you can't risk everything we've been through, all these years we've worked to just to blow it all away on one mistake."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "I wasn't going to tell her anything. Do you think I'm a complete idiot?"

Mr. Kitsune shrugged half-heartedly and moved back behind his desk and sat down in his chair. "Well I am beginning to have my doubts about your sanity."

Picking up his bag and slinging it over his shoulder, Inuyasha scoffed indifferently and stood. "Look, Im fine." Mr. Kitsune gave him a doubtful look from underneath his fiery bangs and Inuyasha frowned, giving him an equally nasty look of his own. "Don't look at me like that. Just because you're my teacher now, doesn't mean you're my superior. Don't forget who practically raised you, you little runt."

The quick tongued redhead couldn't help the smirk that slipped onto his face as he brought his hands up in a surrendering gesture, leaning back in his chair. "Alright. Alright. Im just trying to make sure you know what you're doing."

Inuyasha moved for the door. "Don't worry about me." He paused, a smile growing on his face. "Because I've done this before...I know how it ends."

Mr. Kitsune grinned and picked up the first quiz, waving the dark haired teen away dismissively. "Alright already. Just get out of here or you'll be late. I'll let you're late arrival this morning slide. _Again. _And I'll only do it because I know you were with Kagome. But don't expect me to do it anymore. And don't expect any of the other teachers to do it either. _Especially _Ōkami."

Inuyasha saluted sarcastically with two fingers. "Sure thing," he smirked deviously, "_Mr. Kitsune."_

The redheaded teacher threw his head back and laughed. "Stop calling me that when class is over. It makes me feel so old."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Well you _are_ ancient..."

"Get out of here and get to class," He growled playfully, pointing toward the door.

Inuyasha chuckled and pushed open the classroom door but paused in the doorway, curious about something. "Did you purposefully set the quiz on the feudel era today so you could see what Kagome knew? And do I seriously have detention this afternoon?"

Mr. Kitsune continued grading papers, ticking his red pen down on the wrong answers. "Yes, I did. And I think she will have aced it. She finished quickly." He glanced up. "Even quicker than you." He went back to work on the papers in front of him. "And you will have detention if you don't get your ass out of my classroom in about five seconds."

Inuyasha bit back his laughter and continued on, glad that he was getting away with his earlier performance with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. "See you later."

Hi teacher glanced up from his desk, his signature sneaky grin playing at his lips. "Bye Inuyasha."

He walked out into the crowded hallway, letting the door swing shut after him. "Bye Shippo."

* * *

**A/N:**

_I know most of this chapter was just retelling Kagome and Inuyasha's different point of view, but I really couldn't write it any other way. I also know I ended this chapter at a bad spot but I couldn't continue on with the rest of Kagome's first day. Seriously, you guys would probably been bored of reading by the time I was finished. I hated ending this chapter the way I did, but I couldn't be helped. I had to stop there._

_Also, I thought I'd change this A/N up a little bit and thank my reviewers personally._

**_A big thank you goes out to: 608, kouga's older woman, earth princess terra. _**_And a huge _**_Thank you _**_goes out to my best reviewer yet: _**_Molly Short. _**_I read your review and I literally melted into mush. You know, after I was a little scared of you hunting me down and finding me... ;) I loved it. So one-hundred glory points and a virtual hug goes out to you._

_Anyway I hope you all review this chapter and (I know Im late in saying this but...) I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of july weekend, filled with laughter, fireworks and fun._

_Review please and motivate me to write for you wonderful readers._

Next up:

_Chapter 4. The Second First Encounter_

_Bye bye my little cupcakes._

_- Smed_

**・・・・**


	5. Chapter 4

**・The Five-Hundred Year Difference****・**

| _A Inuyasha FanFiction |_

**Full Summary:**

Kagome Higurashi wakes in a hospital, only to find out she's been in a coma for two months. Questions naturally start buzzing around in her head. Why is she there? Why is she so confused? And who's the mysterious stranger that visits her in the middle of the night? But everything is forgotten when a strange new boy enrolls at her school. Why does her seem so familiar? And how does he know her name?

**_Beta:_**_ GoldenEyedRamenLover _&_ YourGoldenEyes_

**_Author: _**SmedTheVagabond

* * *

**_AuthorsNote:_**

_It seems like I have __feisty little reader's on my hands. I haven't gotten too in under my head with the lot of you, have I? I have received 2, yes **2, **vague threats in reviews about hunting me down and finding me if I don't finish my upcoming chapters in a timely fashion..._

_(You know who you are, you crazy little devil's you.) _

_Now Im not sure If I should be completely flattered that some of you love my story so much that you're willing to hunt me down, find and torture the words out of me, or If I should be completely terrified that Im being stalked by my readers over the inter-webs. And __I don't think ya'll know how this little give-and-take relationship between you and I works, so I'll gladly explain it to you so you aren't confused. Heres the deal: I update when I want to, publish when I want to and let you all read my story **when I want to. **_

_That is all. End of story. No buts. Not threats. No nothing._

_But seriously, I want to thank all of you (even the seemingly dangerous reviewers.) You guys make my day with all the love in your reviews. _

_-Smed_

_**・・・・**_

_~Me shouting at my computer screen, watching an __episode of Inuyasha~_

_Me: NO MIROKU, YOU CAN'T! DONT DO IT! THE SAIMYOSHO'S POISON WILL GET YOU! _

_*Miroku uses Wind-tunnel*_

_Me: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! NOW YOUR WIND-TUNNEL IS USELESS FOR THE NEXT 500 EPISODES! _

_Oh well. I tried. _

* * *

**Chapter 4. The Second First Encounter**

Teens pushed their way through the crowded hallways, hurriedly trying to get to their next classes on time to avoid getting in trouble with uptight teachers. Kagome sighed drearily as she had to stop, _again, _as someone bumped into her.

_Sheesh. You'd think that some of these mindless drones would actually watch where __they're going, _Kagome thought cynically.

"Kagome! Hey, Kagome! Wait up!" a voice called out from down the hallway, over the murmur and low chattering of other students.

She halted mid-stride and bit back a groan. This was the very last thing she needed right now.

Hōjō, who had started running down the hallway to catch up with her the second he'd spotted her, came to a screeching halt a few paces away. Kagome jumped back a little as he almost stumbled into her, grinning like a loon. It was a goofy, lopsided kind of grin and it made Kagome's heart ache.

She knew about the 'little' crush Hōjō Migumi had on her. It was so evident it border-lined on painfully obvious. He'd had his one-sided crush on her since grade school and as long as she could remember. And it wasn't much of a secret, seeing as how Ayumi, Eri and Yuka had always insisted to Kagome that they'd be a good match and persisted that she should go out with him. Kagome, on the other hand, thought Hojo was a little to..._attentive _to be good boyfriend material.

"Hey Hōjō," she greeted affectionately and offered a friendly smile."How've you been?"

Hōjō was good looking, Kagome figured. The upbeat teen definitely wasn't ugly. His dark sandy hair fell down in front of his forehead in a shaggy fashion, leaving his muddy hazel eyes, that were usually perky and bright to be seen clearly. He was tall, lean and well built for a guy their age. His infectious personality and great outlook on life made him a catch and most girl's in their grade set out do do just that - capture his heart and make him theirs. But most of all, he was devastatingly kind and had a good heart. It was almost a shame that Kagome found him nothing more than a good friend, or she would have snatched him up already like most of the girls attending their school wanted to do.

Hōjō frowned thoughtfully. "I should be the one asking _you _that question. How are you feeling today, Kagome?" His eyes roamed over her, searching for any signs of lingering fatigue or illness.

And there it was. The over mindful guy Kagome knew all too well had made his much anticipated appearance. Really, if he'd just tone it down a bit with the caring act and didn't treat her like she was a china doll in a glass house Kagome would've found him more appealing.

Kagome groaned internally and started walking for her next class. Hōjō fell into step beside her.

"Hōjō,I'm fine," she controlled a tired groan that wanted to slip from her mouth. "The doctors at the hospital wouldn't have sent me home if I wasn't feeling up to school. And trust me, I wouldn't be here if I couldn't and didn't want to handle it."

He continued to watch her warily but didn't press the issue. He knew better then to grate against Kagome's nerves.

"Thats good. Im glad you're feeling alright." He suddenly grabbed her arm, gently forcing her to pause before she headed down another hallway. "Hey, listen Kagome."

She turned and met his gaze. "What is it?"

He lowered his eyes to the floor almost bashfully. "I was really worried about you, you know. I wanted to visit you in the hospital so I could see you and ask if you needed anything or maybe help out. But I've been so busy with school and homework that I couldn't and I wanted to, but I-"

"Hōjō?" Kagome suddenly spoke, cutting off his rambling.

His head perked up, his eyes sparkling ever so slightly. "Yes?"

Kagome couldn't help but smile. Hōjō was like a faithful dog that was still undoubtedly faithful, even after getting whacked on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper.

"Hōjō, shut up," she said, his imaginary tail ceasing its wagging. Kagome smirked even further. "You're really nice to worry about me like that and I really appreciate your kindness. But I really don't deserve it. So please," she squeezed his hand slightly, slipping her cool fingers into his smooth, warm palm. "Just stop worrying about me so much. I'll be fine. Kay?"

It was a long shot asking that of him, she realized that. Asking Hōjō to stop worrying about her was like asking birds not to fly. It was impossible. Yet she knew she had to try - knew she had to at least ask this of him. The whole time she'd been in the hospital and the grueling weeks that followed, all anybody had ever asked was if she was feeling ill and wondered how she was doing medically. They were all to sick with their own worry to wonder how she was doing emotionally.

She understood that everyone was just looking out for her. And while she appreciated the thought, she still felt like everyone was tip-toeing around her like she was made of finely spun glass. She wanted to be treated like her normal self again, if only to forget the nagging thoughts of her coma. The desperate want to feel a bit of normalcy again was growing into longing wish.

Despite still being worried about her wellbeing, Hōjō smiled after a beat, nodding his head. "Okay."

Satisfied with his answer, Kagome shifted her weight and started walking again. "Good."

"What class do you have next?" He asked, switching conversation topics. He squeezed her hand, not letting go.

"Science." she said, side stepping around a group of giggling, preppy girls as they made their way down the hall.

"So do I," he replied with an upbeat tempo to his voice. "Care if I walk you to class?"

The teen shook her head and a few stray hair fell in front of her eyes. "Not at all."

He grinned and started leading her down the hall, giddy that Kagome hadn't pulled her hand out of his. A few people lazily bumped into the pair as they continued walking. Every chance he got, Hōjō put himself in the way so Kagome wouldn't be trampled. Thanking him quietly, Kagome continued on. She was about to strike up another conversation, only to end the loud silence that stretched on between them, when she saw _him _from a distance.

Heading down the hallway in the opposite direction, Inuyasha rounded the corner. He was kind of hard to miss, even amid the cramped hall. Everyone in the hallway parted as he moved past, shuffling away from him like he were a walking plague, making him a path as he continued forward. Clearly he'd instilled a kind of intimidation in some of his classmates.

Kagome was about to call out to him when, for a brief moment, he materialized into a white haired, dog-eared, cocky young man. The measured steps she'd been taking to avoid colliding in with anybody in the hall slowed to a shuffle as she watched him stalking toward her, clutching the strap of Inuyasha's backpack between his clenched fist and sharp two-inch claws - Inuyasha nowhere to be seen.

Her pulse thudded ruthlessly in her ears and all the sounds around her became muffled the longer she stared. Her heart careened into her throat when the image of him blurred into a mixture of colors; crimson, silver and the golden honey of his eyes. As if they were magnetized to one another by a force that couldn't be helped, Kagome took a timid step in his direction. Although she was confused, she couldn't help it. She was undeniably drawn to him.

Why was he in her school? How did he get here? Why did no one else seem to notice him? No one even looked his way. Surely her fellow classmates would notice a white haired teen with dog ears just walking down the hallway like he owned the place. But most importantly, what on earth was his name?

Just as she was about to shift fully in his direction, slightly tugging Hōjō's hand in the opposite direction he was leading her, a group of students stepped in front of Kagome's silver haired enigma as they crossed the hall and the illusion was broken. Just like that. The blur of colors that made up the strange boy vanished like the climax of a magicians act. Gone was the mysterious white haired rebel. And in his place was a dark haired teen: Inuyasha.

Kagome blinked. And then blinked again, trying to keep up with Hōjō as he kept walking. Her posture visibly deflated the more she watched Inuyasha make his way in her direction. She had only imagined it. It had been her minds eye playing tricks on her. She'd made him up. Again.

She shook her head. Whats_ wrong with me?_

As Hōjō and Kagome passed him, Inuyasha lifted his head and gave a side glance at the pair. His eyes zeroed in on their intertwined fingers, their hands as they swayed in-between their bodies before his gaze flickered up to Kagome's face. His cool expression morphed into a disgusted scowl as he lifted his chin in a jerk and continued walking, without giving them a second glance.

Hōjō, totally oblivious to the small exchange started chattering excitedly about the upcoming school dance that was being held in a few months, but Kagome was only half-listening. The better part of her thoughts was on the way Inuyasha's expression had considerably darkened the moment he'd spotted them coming down the hallway, hand-in-hand.

Why, she pondered, would he have any reason to get mad about that?

-:-:-:-:-

"...And that, class, is how you can identify major cell components and understand protein synthesis." The bell rang loudly and students shifted eagerly in their seats, gathering up their belongings. "Please make sure you return your lab worksheets to the front of the class before you leave!" Mr. Izumo, the third year biology teacher hollered over the excited chattering gossip of his rowdy students as they piled out from the room.

Kagome stood and shouldered her bag before heading toward the front desk so she could hand in her lab worksheet.

"Wait up for me, Higurashi."

Kagome turned as she stepped in the cool hallway, absently eyeing Hōjō as he caught up with her and started walking with her. He walked so close that their arms almost brushed. Kagome noticed but pretended she hadn't.

"That lesson was a real brain buster, huh?" He asked.

She shook her head as she thought about the mind-numbing forty-five minuets she'd just spent learning about cells and molecules. "I thought I was going to fall asleep halfway through the class. Learning the intricate differences between Mitosis and Meiosis isn't my favorite pastime."

"Mine either," he chuckled.

"Well, well, well," a girly voice said suddenly from behind them, over exaggerateing their tone to sound like a cheesy Australian safari hunter. "Lookie what I've found, girls. A pair of love-birds out in the wild."

The other two joined in. "Be quiet or you'll scare 'em off."

"Don't make any sudden movements. Lets watch them in their natural habitat; a school hallway."

Hōjō smirked and Kagome snorted, glancing curiously over her shoulder, already knowing who she'd find. "Give it a rest already, would ya?"

Ayumi grinned, never breaking eye contact with Kagome as the group kept walking. "I think we've hit a sensitive spot. Think we should stop?"

"YES!" Kagome groaned but it was drowned out by the sound of Eri and Yuka shouting, "NO!"

Kagome ran a hand over her face. "You guys are exhausting."

"And embarrassing," Hōjō piped in, giving Kagome a friendly nudge in her ribcage. It let her know that she wasn't alone in being mortified by her friends outspoken behavior.

"Do you have your gym bag ready, Kag?" Eri asked, breaking the slightly uncomfortable silence.

Kagome suddenly noticed that they all carried their gym bags. She shook her head as they turned a corner. "No, I was heading to my locker to grab it before class. Hey." She paused. "How did you know I have gym next?"

Yuka shrugged indifferently, picking at the cuticles on her fingernails. "Hōjō told us."

Kagome's head snapped up in the direction of the aforementioned teen. "How do you know my schedule?"

He blushed and started rubbing the back of his neck nervously, like he couldn't help it. Hōjō had always had the nervous habit of not being able to keep his hands still. "I help out in the main office after school, with paper work and documents that need to be filed, and I just happened to come across your schedule one day last week and I-"

"You read it," she finished.

His blush reddened. "Yeah. Im sorry. I know I shouldn't have but it just happened."

Kagome forced herself to shrug and keep walking, afraid that if she didn't she might get angry with Hōjō, who couldn't help but be a nosey person.

When they suddenly came to a fork in the hall - one hall leading down toward the gym, the other leading to a section of the school that was mostly lockers - Kagome split up with the group and headed to her locker. She dropped off her school bag, snatched up her gym bag and hurried toward the gym. Most of her class had already arrived and had gone into either the girls or boys locker rooms when she stepped into the gym.

Just as she was about the head into the girls, she saw Inuyasha heading in from the opposite direction, moving toward the boys. He walked with a slow gait, like he could care less about getting to gym on time, and had his gym bag over his shoulder.

_So, _she thought as she slowed her pace, _we have gym together, too._

His head lifted right before he headed inside and his expression instantly lightened when he saw her standing there. Like he had been secretly hoping they'd share a gym class together. His eyes penetrated into hers as they both stopped to stare at each-other.

She offered a half-smile. He couldn't help but smirk back.

And then they parted, heading into their separate locker rooms.

Kagome ducked into the room, only to be surrounded by the loud talking as girls gossiped. Their high-pitched voices ricochet off the tilled flooring and walls, accompanying the sound of many metal locker doors slamming shut, making up a symphony of loud chaos. Kagome stepped around the wooden benches that lined the locker room floor, and around her fellow girl classmates as they changed, making her way over to where Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka were already changed. Ayumi was laying down on one of the wooden benches, Eri was tying her shoes and Yuka was laughing loudly at whatever comment Ayumi had just made.

Kagome opened one of the spare lockers and tried to join in on their conversation, but failed to when her mind started to drift to other things. Like dark haired, mysterious male teen kinds of things.

She stripped out of her uniform in favor of a pair of red gym shorts that reached the middle of her thigh and a plain white tee with a red stripe on both sleeves. She changed her socks and laced up her white gym shoes and swiftly combed her hair into a messy ponytail with a matching red hair scrunchie.

Slamming her locker closed, she took a deep breath and headed out into the fray with the rest of her class.

-:-:-:-:-

He was built like a buff soccer player, looked like a male model, and had the strut of a man who got what he wanted, when he wanted. A large gym sack was hauled over one of his shoulder's and was he was staring down at his clipboard intently as he walked in, letting the double gym doors _clank _close behind him.

Kagome ran a hand over her head and tugged on the end of her ponytail nervously, twisting her fingers into her hair. There was something about him. Something...in the way he moved that made Kagome's chest tighten involuntarily. His body was built with sharp muscles that rippled with every movement, every step he took.

Yet he somehow made it look graceful, that walk of his. His step was more balletic then it should have been for a man of his stature. It was controlled and easy, that somehow made it appear effortless. He had captured Kagome's undivided attention the second he'd stepped foot into the room.

He dumped the bag onto the floor once he'd reached the edge of the large group that had assembled in the middle of the gym, placing his spare hand on his hip.

"Alright everybody," Kagome shivered slightly at his deep voice. His words seemed to rumble and vibrate right through her. "Lets get started." With a lick of his lips, he started reading the names off his list, going through attendance.

"So what do you think?" Yuka asked, nodding her head in their gym teacher's direction with a suggestive raise of her eyebrows.

"Of him?" Kagome shrugged in indifference, yet she felt anything but. "He's okay, I guess."

Ayumi jerked up from where she'd been slouching on the floor. "Okay? Just _okay? _Are you blind? Mr. Ookami is gorgeous!"

Kagome took in his appearance and admitted silently that her friends were right. The guy _was _pretty good looking. He wore a plain black wife-beater and regular grey looking jogging pants and sneakers. His long, stick straight hair looked like it'd been dipped in a bottle of the darkest ink and was tied in a top knot at the crown of his head. His layered bangs were pushed back by a matching brown headband that ran around his forehead, exposing his cheekbones and sharp facial features; his strong jawbone and naturally pale pink lips. His skin was bronzed and tanned by perfect exposure from the sun and was stretched tightly over fit muscles.

In short, their new gym teacher was a sexy guy.

"Heoto Naomi?" A girl raised her hand at her name being called as he continued going down the list.

"Higurashi...Kagome...?" He trailed slowly, sluggishly lifting his gaze of the clipboard and searching the group of teens, almost frantically for the person with that name. His sharp eyes found her almost instantly through the crowd. Something that appeared to be relief flashed through his eyes and he smirked like a man who'd just won the jackpot.

Kagome hesitantly raised her hand. His eyes were an electric blue that screamed for attention, framed by dark eyelashes, shocking her to her very core and rooting her to the spot. The contrast of his irises against his dark hair was striking. No wonder her friends had been affected. She doubted any women in her right mind hadn't noticed his obvious good looks.

"Here," she finally mumbled, trying her damnedest not to giggle by his stare like a love struck pre-teen.

Their teacher grinned wolfishly at her reaction and visibly relaxed. "I had overheard you were finally back from your leave of absence," he said, falling into a comfortable conversation with her, one students usually don't have with teachers. "How are you? Im glad you're okay." His voice lowered an octave. "_Really _glad."

Kagome felt her cheeks burn. "I-Im fine. Thanks."

She brushed a fly-way strand of hair behind her ear and stared down at the floor, unable to look directly into his cobalt eyes anymore. What a day she was having. Fist she'd met her rather cheeky history teacher, with his flaming auburn hair and penetrating eyes... and now this almost roguish gym teacher? The aura that radiated off of this man positively reeked of cocky attitude and knavish charm.

"Feh. Disgusting." A voice grumbled sourly nearby.

"Do you have a problem mu-...I mean _Takahahsi?" _Mr. Ookami frowned, giving the grouchy teen a warning glare. _  
_

Inuyasha had inadvertently leaned himself on one of the walls when he'd entered the gym, standing alone and eyeing most of his classmates from behind a veil of hair as they chatted amongst themselves. Yet now, his arms were crossed over his chest and he was glaring at their gym teacher with such anger that it made Kagome flinch.

"No." He ground out between clenched teeth. "I don't."

"Good," the man smirked, his eyes gleaming slyly. "Then lets get back to attendance so we can start class," and he continued on with the list, calling out the next name.

Eri grimaced slightly and shrugged when Kagome gave her four best friends a _what the hell was that? _look. "We told you. There's definitely something up between those two."

"Yeah. I can see what you mean. Theres definitely some friction between those two. But what is it exactly?" She wondered aloud, ghosting her pointer finger of her bottom lip as she thought.

Inuyasha was a new student, ergo he shouldn't already have a problem with a teacher. Unless he was a delinquent, which she didn't think he was...kind of. The irritation between them seemed to stem from something deeper. As if they already knew one another outside of school. Or knew each other before Inuyasha had even transferred.

Finally coming to a conclusion, and getting slightly agitated that she couldn't decipher it out on her own, she glanced up and watched as Inuyasha continued to glower at their smug teacher. "Hey I have an idea. Why don't I just ask him?"

When she took a step in his direction a hand caught her wrist. "Wait Kagome."

The dark-haired teen glanced over her shoulder and down at Ayumi as she continued to put a death hold on her arm. "Whats the problem?"

Her friends looked amongst themselves, even Hōjō looking a bit concerned, before Ayumi glanced back up at Kagome. Her expression was grim as she said, "We just don't think you should be hanging around him. Thats all."

Kagome stepped back, slightly confused. "But just this morning you were saying how hot and cool he was. Why the sudden change of mind?"

"He just gives off this..."

"Bad boy vibe." Eri finished.

Yuka nodded in agreement. "And we don't think he's a good influence."

"He's totally got some issues."

"I heard that he's in some type of gang from Mezuki in calculus."

Hōjō faced Inuyasha and frowned; a very ironic expression for the usually upbeat teen. "I heard he's a womanizer."

Not really listening to her friends ridiculous gossiping, Kagome discreetly looked out from underneath her eyelashes in Inuyasha's direction, only to find him watching her. His expression was shrewd, like he knew exactly what they were chattering about and was just as eager to know Kagome's response. His lips pulled up into a haughty smirk and a dark eyebrow rose into his hairline as if to say _well...? _

Not breaking eye contact, Kagome said, "You guys are being stupid. You don't even know him and I don't think you should judge him before you do. All you're doing is working and speeding up the rumor mill."

Eri threw her hands up in the air. "We're only looking out for you, Gome."

Kagome put her hands on her hips and Inuyasha's smirk broadened from his spot by the wall. "Im a big girl. I can handle myself."

"Alright class, listen up!" Mr. Ookami called as he finished attendance."Today we are going to be playing an indoor game. The name of the game? Dodge ball."

Inuyasha groaned loudly in clear disinterest as Mr. Ookami untied the gym sack that was still sitting on the floor and pulled out a bright red dodgeball. Without much warning, beside a sinful grin, the teacher violently hurled the ball at his glowering student as fast and hard as possible.

The ball smacked into Inuyasha's stomach with a loud _thunk!_, urning a grunt and a growl from the teen. Kagome gasped. She hadn't even seen the ball flying through the air until it had hit Inuyasha. She glanced back at her teacher as his grin spread into a full blown smile, wondering just how strong he was.

"Am I boring you, Takahashi?" Mr. Ookami inquired lightly, as if they were discussing the weather as the ball rolled backward in his direction. He stopped it with the underside of his foot.

Inuyasha regained his footing and his lips drew back in a snarl. "Not at all, _sir._"

Mr. Ookami, outwardly appearing to be completely oblivious to Inuyasha's anger, smiled happily. "Thats good to hear. Here I thought you were groaning because you're a spiteful little punk that feels like he's to good to get his 'hands dirty' with a dumb game of dodge ball with the rest of your class. I guess I was wrong. And thank you _so much_ for volunteering to demonstrate. Keep up the enthusiasm."

"No problem," he said with a hiss and an obviously fake smile that made his lips twitch unpleasantly.

Mr. Ookami continued to explain the rules of Dodge Ball which wasn't to complicated, especially after seeing the little 'demonstration' curtesy of Inuyasha. When everyone seemed to grasp the idea, the class was then divided up into two groups and separated onto either sides of the gym. Kagome and Ayumi were split up on the rights side of the gym while Eri, Yuka and Hōjō were on the left. Their dark-haired teacher then placed all remaining balls onto the center line of the gym and directed both teams to place one hand on the wall closet to them.

Kagome followed instructions by placing her hand onto the wall as she readied herself, when her eye suddenly caught Inuyasha's. He just happened to be placed on the same team and she was oddly...happy about it.

Being the 'Bad boy' that he was, Inuyasha hadn't traded in his school uniform for the regulatory boys gym uniform that matched the one she was currently wearing. She didn't know how he was getting away with hit, but Mr. Ookami wasn't saying anything against it.

Instead of the blue and white uniform, he wore an all black ensemble; a black tee shirt and matching gym pants. The only bright color on his person was the red color around the collar of his shirt. Strangely though, Kagome thought the color really didn't suit him. He seemed more like a crimson kind of person...

"Hey," he greeted suddenly and Kagome was forcibly snapped out of her reverie.

His eyes zeroed in on her face and every so often they would flicker down toward her lips. She gulped. _I wish he wouldn't do that. Stop that. Stop staring at me!_

Finally regaining her voice, she manged a small, "hey yourself."

One side of his mouth lifted up into a semblance of a smirk and her legs buckled unsteadily underneath her.

"You watch my back and I'll watch yours?" He offered, motioning toward the opposing team. He bent at his knees and narrowed his gaze on the closet dodgeball.

Blinking for a few moments, not knowing if he was really talking to _her _or not, Kagome nodded dumbly and followed his lead. "S-sure."

What a sucker she was. He could've asked her to fling herself off a twenty story building and she would have done it happily and with a smile on her face, if he asked with that wicked grin and penetrating eyes of his.

When everybody was ready, Mr. Ookami brought a whistle to his lips, lifted his hand into the air and signaled for the game to begin. Inuyasha was off faster than Kagome could process and reached the center line before anyone else.

He grabbed a random ball and threw it at the closest person, which unfortunately happened to be Hōjō. The ball went sailing through the air and hit the poor teenager on his butt, bruising his ego more then his backside.

"Hōjō!" Mr. Ookami called and brought his thumb back in a clear _out!_ motion. "You're out!"

Even from her spot on the opposite side of the gym Kagome spotted Hōjō's glare at Inuyasha as he stomped off the court, rubbing his smarting backside. Inuyasha snorted amusedly and moved on to his next victim.

And so it went. Every time a person neared him, Inuyasha sent a ball flying in his or her direction. And every time someone did the unthinkable and glanced at Kagome, he chucked a ball at them as well.

He laughed wickedly as Ayumi tried aiming for Kagome. Yet as she drew her arm back, Inuyasha threw the ball in his hands before she could blink, hitting her on her side and getting her removed from the game.

Kagome had to stop more than once...merely to watch him. Just like with their rather strange (albeit attractive) gym teacher, she couldn't help but watch the way he moved. Mesmerized. She never knew a stupid game of dodge ball could be so electrifying. His feet were quick, yet surprisingly nimble. His shoulders were back and his chin was lifted with a hint of pride vanity. The way he dodged and leapt about the gym was hauntingly familiar.

Shaking her head and the recognizable sensation away, Kagome soon caught up with Inuyahsa's pace, literally getting his back. The proud pair stood shoulder to shoulder, readying their 'ammunition' for oncoming opponents. They called out a heads up to one another and deflected balls that where hurled their way. In a well-known sync, they moved. Like one. The duo was unstoppable.

The feeling of standing by Inuyasha's side was thrilling and Kagome smiled freely. With all the chaos that was going on in her life, her constant confusion and disorderly havoc that was running a muck in her head, being with Inuyasha made her forget all of her worries...and breathe. She felt something spark inside her, something that, up until then, had been dormant and unused. It flickered dully, but still flickered. And that was enough for her.

By the time Mr. Ookami blew his whistle agin, signaling that the game was over, only Inuyasha and Kagome remained standing. Everyone else were sitting on the sidelines wearing matching scowls.

"Hey, we make a pretty good team," Kagome said to Inuyasha breathlessly. He'd made it look so easy, jumping around and dodging dodge-balls. But it was pretty strenuous. Especially following in the way he moved. All Kagome wanted to do know was sit down and catch her breath. And maybe take a nap.

He laughed once and shook his head, barely out of breath. "You'd be surprised."

Kagome's brow furrowed but she didn't have time to ask what he meant by that exactly, when Mr. Ookami blew his whistle and dismissed the class just as she was about to.

Yuka, Eri, Ayumi and Hōjō pushed up from their spot on the sidelines with the rest of the class and moved toward the locker rooms. When Kagome didn't immediately join them, Hōjō kept walking but the three girls stood waiting for her, giving her curious looks.

Inuyasha suddenly turned to her. "Hey, Kagome I was thinking-"

"Come on Kagome!" Ayumi hollered, purposefully cutting him off. "We gotta go!"

Kagome shot a glare at her three so called 'friends' and then sent an apologetic glance at Inuyasha who was also glaring at the girls.

"Im sorry about them." She muttered honestly, making a mental note to talk with them about it later.

He shrugged but she could still see the irriation flaring behind his eyes. "It's fine. But I guess we _should_ go. I'll see you later...right?"

Completely unable to help herself, Kagome found herself nodding her head like she was attached to marionette strings. "Yeah. Definitely."

-:-:-:-:-

The rest of the day continued on, with lunch fallowing quickly. Kagome was starving by the time she moved into the lunchroom, spotting her friends already sitting down at their usual table. Sighing happily at the familiar scene, she practically skipped over and made herself right at home. The group was soon were talking about the usual stuff; school, homework, and most importantly boys. It was a typical, comfortable lunch break...

_Was _being the key word.

Kagome laughed as Ayumi told a terrible joke animatedly, sending the girls into hysterics. Yuka even snorted like a pig as she nearly spit out her water. Kagome was just settling back down, her cheeks burning from smiling and laughing so hard, when she spotted Inuyasha making his way into the room.

She stopped laughing.

He looked so causal and comfortable in his own skin, it made Kagome feel inadequate. He walked slowly through the buzzing crowd like he had time to spare, leisurely reading a magazine and listening to music from his Mp3 player that was shoved in his front pocket. He finally stopped at a deserted table that seemed to be pushed back away from the rest of the cafeteria, making himself comfortable. Propping both feet up on an empty chair, he reclined.

Kagome sighed heavily, watching him unabashedly. Just what was it about him that had her so...flustered? she wondered. He was unlike any other guy she'd ever met and she'd only said, like, three words to the guy.

And yet despite that she felt a small tug on her heart, drawing her closer to him. Her instincts were screaming for her to go join him; be at his side. The question was why. He was a stranger. She didn't know him from Adam. It had only been a few hours since she'd met him for crying out loud. So why did she have the nagging sense that she knew him already? Why, why, why?

She sighed, ignoring whatever it as that was bother her. Inuyasha was just a new kid at their school. And because he was slightly different he had peeked her curiosity. Yeah. That had to be it.

Kagome unconsciously cocked her head to the side and studied the way he tapped his fingertips on the tabletop to the beat of his music. The way his eyes flitted over the magazines page, hidden behind a waterfall of thick bangs. The way his muscled legs stretched out easily on the spare chair; one booted foot placed on top of the other. The way his shoulders rolled as he took a deep breath. The way the sides of his mouth twitched as he caught her starring at him.

Her eyes widened fractionally and she jerked back in her seat; having been leaning on her arm with her chin in the palm of her hand. _Busted_. Like she was frozen on the spot underneath his firm gaze, she didn't, _couldn't, _look away. His eyes narrowed slightly when she didn't and his expression hardened somewhat, like he was trying to figure her out by just looking at her.

"...gome. Earth to Kagome? Come in Captain Spacey," Eri rapped her knuckles against her temple, breaking her from her trance.

Breaking their heavy eye contact, Kagome tore her gaze away. Her friends where all starring at her like she'd lost her mind."Wha-...what?"

Yuka snorted at Kagomes expression. "You looked so dazed. What where you staring at?"

"Yeah. Just what had you so-oh." Eri frowned when she followed Kagome's line of sight, finding herself looking at Inuyasha. His eyes were back on his reading now. The only difference was the amused and slightly secretive grin on his lips.

"Do you think we should join him?" Kagome asked suddenly, surprising herself along with her friends. "He looks so...lonely."

"Yeah, there's probably a good reason that he _is,_" Ayumi muttered.

Defense for Inuyasha suddenly made Kagome's hackles rise. Why were her friends acting so shallow, so callous towards him? What had he possibly done to them?

"I think Im going to join him." She announced, gathering her things.

"Um...I dont think thats such a good-"

"Why are you guys acting so shallow?" She spoke over Yuka's voice. Irritation flared inside her stomach at her friends attitudes.

Ayumi's lips pulled down into a frown. "We're not."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Right. Anyway, Im going to go join him. You're more then welcome to come along." She said tensely, so pissed she didn't trust herself to say anything else.

They might have replied as she she pushed up from her spot and started toward Inuyasha's table, but she didn't hear them. She was too mad. Her pulse was thudding in her ears, sounding more like an angry sea than her heartbeat. Her friends were acting like fickle children.

Storming over toward Inuyasha's table, Kagome caused a few people pause in their own conversations as she stomped past. But the further away she walked form her own table, and the closer she drew towards his_,_ she lost her steam. Stomping feet died down into a meek shuffle. Determination flaring proudly in her chest deflated into uncertainty. By the time she finally reached his table, she looked like a shy little girl. Her bottom lip was captured by her teeth as she stood before him, strangely jittery. He didn't look up from his reading and that only furthered her nervousness.

"Hey. Um...hows it going?"

As soon as the words left her tongue, she wanted to smack herself in the face. Mentally, she did. _Hey. Um...hows it going? Thats honestly the best you could come up with? _Kagome asked herself.

Inuyasha grinned down at his current page as if he could sense her inner turmoil and relished in it. His shoulder's shook with salient, amused laugher.

"Yeah, uh...are you...are you alone?" She asked, straitening her spine with false confidence. If she was going to drown in her own stupidity, she was going to do it with some of her pride still intact. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her uncomfortable in his presence if she could help it.

Yet he didn't look up from his reading as he turned a page. When he still didn't respond, Kagome blustered, feeling annoyed. Why wasn't he answering, besides chuckling at her like a know-nothing child? She knew very well that he had heard her. He wasn't listening to his music now; she saw how his earbuds dangled uselessly from his schoolbags front pocket.

"Hello!?" She placed her hands on her hips. "Why are you ignoring me? Are you hearing impaired or something?"

"Im not ignoring you," He finally spoke on a sigh. "And trust me I can hear you just fine, sweetheart...Im seeing how long you're gonna keep talkin' just to hear the own sound of your voice," he finished, not looking up at her.

Kagome gapped at him. _Did he really...did he honestly just say...? _She couldn't even form proper thoughts. Did he honestly just insult her like that? And sweetheart? Had he really called her sweetheart?

"Excuse me?" She asked, miffed.

Brushing off her question he finally glanced up, his dark eyes finding hers easily. "Does it look like anyones sitting here?" He asked, gesturing toward the deserted table. When her mouth opened and closed like a fish caught from a river and thrown to the riverbank, he grinned slightly. "Thats what your really wanting to ask me, right? If you can sit with me?"

She looked down at her feet, wishing she could vanish into thin air as she heard him snicker as her own expense. "And if _thats _the case...then yeah, knock yourself out. I know you _really_ want to, seeing as how you were getting all swoony and moon-eyed staring at me from across the cafeteria."

"I was not!" Her voice rose with her anger level. "I was just-"

"Just what?" He asked, grinning like the devil. He leaned his elbows on the table and placed his chin in his palms like he was hanging onto the edge of his seat waiting for her to tell the most hilarious joke in the universe.

"Just...wondering why you look so weird," she huffed lamely. She had better comebacks then that! Did Inuyasha really make her lose focus that badly?

He laughed. Outright threw his head back and laughed, the sound oddly pleasing to Kagome's senses even though she'd just about had it with him. Getting annoyed, she plonked down in a spare chair and glared slightly at the teen across from her as he wiped an imaginary tear from his eye.

"Your actually kind of cute when you get flustered like that." He chuckled, looking at her like no one had ever looked at her before.

It was unnerving having him stare like that. His expression was teasing and he clearly was pushing her buttons, trying to see how far her could get her until she snapped. But his eyes were different. The were looking at her like he wanted to dig deep, deep into her soul, wanted to know every secret, every mystery there was to her and it made the small hairs on the nape of her neck stand on end.

She gulped, forcing herself to appear in control. "I wasn't flustered."

"Has anyone ever told you you're a terrible liar? Because if they haven't, they should."

"Has anyone ever told you you're an asshole?"

"On a daily basis."

Kagome moved to stand, her nerves slightly shot. So much for feeling..._better_ and less confused with Inuyasha. Clearly coming over to his table was a mistake. When she stood, so did he, his eyes going wide with something that looked suspiciously like fear as he jerked to his feet.

She gathered her things, ignoring the pained look on his face. "You know, my friends were right. I shouldn't have even bothered." She turned to go, her bag over her shoulder. Inuyasha was faster, grasping her wrist, holding her in place. Kagome let herself be held; let herself wait for his response.

"Wait Kagome, Im sorry. I was just messin' around. I didn't mean to make you upset." Her head twitched in his direction over her shoulder, but she didn't look at him. "Don't go...please."

It was that please, that passed his lips in the form of a hushed whimper, that caught her attention. It almost sounded like he was in pain. A deep soul wrenching pain. A broken voice hidden behind gruffness. For some odd reason the sound made her want to cry. Which was unusual considering her emotions where for the inconsiderate newbie sitting in front of her.

Contemplating the situation for a beat, Kagome turned, allowing Inuyasha to tug on her wrist and guide her back to the table slowly. She eyed him carefully as she sat back down, waiting for the snarky comeback, the blunt rebound he would give...that never came. Instead he just clutched onto her wrist, sending heated jolts where their flesh met and mingled.

"...What?" He finally grunted, rattled by the intense way she was studying him.

She shrugged and the fierce gaze she'd had pinned on him just mere seconds ago passed away, leaving a completely indifferent girl sitting in front of him. "Nothing."

And then there was an awkward silence. One that was almost stifling.

Inuyasha tapped his fingers on the tabletop. Kagome bit her lip, and looked _anywhere _else that wasn't Inuyasha's face...Which left Inuyasha the incredible opportunity to stare at her, amazed at how beautiful and unconsciously charming she was.

"So what was up with you today in gym?" She suddenly asked. Her eyes connected with his again and he found himself unable to speak for a passing moment. She had that strange effect on him.

When he collected himself somewhat, he chuckled quietly as he considered her words. She was so adorable when she was being unabashedly blunt. "Excuse me?"

"I just mean...well...you were so," She waved her hands around, as if to explain his actions that way.

"Amazing?"

"Nope.

"Incredible?"

"Nu-uh."

"So fantastically unbelievable that your still reeling from my astonishing agility and dashing good looks?"

Inuyasha was unable to help but smile as Kagome surprised herself and laughed. How was it that just not a few minuets ago she was ready to stomp away from him and never look back, and now she was laughing and feeling lighter then she had in months? How was it that Inuyasha made her feel better just by being near?

"In your dreams."

"Then what?" He leaned forward, genuinely interested.

Still giggling, she said, "You were just so...familiar. The way you moved...It was just...I don't know. But it was...cool."

The word familiar made him pause. His heart beat loudly in his human ears. "Familiar?"

She sighed loudly and rolled her eyes. "Great. Now you think Im going crazy."

He shook his head, looking at her with all seriousness. "No I don't." _  
_

Kagome brushed of his suddenly solemn expression. She sat back in her chair and got more comfortable. "Well anyway, you can be on my dodgeball team anytime. You kicked everyones asses."

He had to grin at that. "What can I say?" Shrugging, he smirked even further. "Im just sooooo amazing, I can't help contain it all the time."

Reaching over the expanse of the table, she nudged his shoulder like they were thick as thieves. "Are you always this cocky?"

He leaned back, placing to hands behind his head underneath a mess of thick hair. "If I say yes and let you gloat, will you sit with me tomorrow at lunch?"

Now _that _certainly wasn't what she'd been expecting. Her mouth slacked and she blinked. "Im sorry?"

He brushed aside her surprise and inclined his head. "Your not the worst company I've ever had." She snorted and he watched her nose wrinkle in that adorable way he loved.

She turned her attention to her previous table momentarily, eying her friends as they laughed. They seemed like they didn't even notice that she was gone or had left. Like they didn't even miss her. The crushing reality that maybe they didn't made her chest tighten painfully.

She took a deep breath and refocused her attention on Inuyasha. And for the second time that day, she nodded her head for some unknown and unstoppable reason. "Yeah. I guess I could sit with you."

A conquering smirk stretched across his face and his eyes gleamed happily. "Then yes. I am always, _always, _this cocky."

It was hard not to stare at his infectious smile, or the small dimple in his chin, or the way his arms stretched out rather nicely behind his head. Kagome wouldn't stare and she wouldn't even go there. 'There' being Inuyasha Land, where she figured a lot of girls got lost and confused, seduced by his charm and charisma, only to be dumped on their asses when he was finished with them. She pinned him as the type of guy who was probably the king of womanizing at his previous school.

Sitting there at that lunch table she vowed to ignore the sexy aura that oozed off of him in waves. Promising to herself that she wouldn't stare, she wouldn't engage and she _wouldn't _try to lead him on.

Nope. She wouldn't.

Not.

At.

All.

...Yeah._ Right. _

-:-:-:-:-

Slipping through the door, Kagome kicked off her shoes. "Im home!" She announced, only to be greeted by stiff silence.

_I guess __nobody's here_, she thought as she moved through the kitchen. Grabbing an apple and a glass of water, she headed upstairs to her room. She pushed her door open and set her backpack down onto her bed before slouching in her desk chair in a very un-ladylike manor.

The day had been slightly less odd then she had imagined, but still long and stressful none the less. Eri, Yuka and Ayumi hadn't said a word to her even after lunch had ended. And Inuyasha hadn't been much better. He'd slipped out of the cafeteria when lunch was over with nothing more then a wink and a lazy wave; a silent promise that they were still on for lunch the next day.

Her thoughts had continued to linger stubbornly on Inuyasha for the rest of the day. It was confusing and rather annoying. What little time she had known him, Inuyasha had been a pain in her butt. He was smug, arrogant and presumptuous. But for some reason, he had made her feel better. Despite the way he'd haughtily treated her and the way he had ruffled her nerves, he'd numbed the pain in her heart and the fuzzy feeling in her head. Which aggravated her to no end. She was shaken by the memory of his attractive smile, how her temper had shortened suddenly with the mirth in his voice. All thanks to him. He was a whirlwind of confusion.

Shoving away those thoughts, she discarded her apple core in the trashcan and grabbed her backpack. She was swamped up to her ears with old and new homework assignments that needed to be handed in as quickly as possible. As she passed her window, her gaze was captured by the Goshinboku as the wilting blossoms bent with the wild wind, and her attention drifted from homework and school, to the strange boy that liked to perch himself in the branches of the sacred tree when no one was looking.

Just like Inuyasha, this mysterious white haired boy had captured her attention with his gruff outlook and quick tongue. He'd stolen into her life like a thief in the night, determinedly burrowing himself into her subconscious. She was completely intrigued by him and she wondered idly if he would show up in the middle of the night, just like he'd done the evening before.

She shrugged and continued on with her homework, still thinking on it. Yet she didn't have to worry about weather or not the stranger would show up after the sun had long gone to sleep, when everybody was fast asleep, for long.

Because he did.

* * *

**A/N:**

_ Well there we go. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review and tell me if you liked it, or didn't. I like __criticism good or bad. _

_Also, Im sorry I haven't been getting back to all of you. My PM is acting all wonky, so Ill try to reply as quickly as I can. Have a great rest of the week! Ill try to update as soon as I can. _

Next up:

Chapter 5. ?

_Bye, bye my little dumplings. _

_-Smed_

******・・・・**  



	6. Chapter 5

**・****The Five-Hundred Year Difference****・**

| _A Inuyasha FanFiction |_

**Full Summary:**

Kagome Higurashi wakes in a hospital, only to find out she's been in a coma for two months. Questions naturally start buzzing around in her head. Why is she there? Why is she so confused? And who's the mysterious stranger that visits her in the middle of the night? But everything is forgotten when a strange new boy enrolls at her school. Why does her seem so familiar? And how does he know her name?

**_Beta:_**_ GoldenEyedRamenLover _&_ YourGoldenEyes_

**_Author: _**SmedTheVagabond

**_Before Side Note:_**

_This chapter, Kagome starts hearing voices in her head. They will be in italics. Just as a heads up._

**Chapter 5. Rules Of The Game **

Twilight had long faded, leaving the night air cool and inexplicably crisp. The breeze swept his silver fringe around his face, underneath the pale moonlight, creating a shadow on the ground below him that took on the impression of ghostly skeletal fingers. The hazy glow of the moon cast lazy shadows on the earth below as clouds floated past, occasionally rousing him out of his thoughts as the moonbeams broke through the boughs of the tree and settled on his face

He smirked silently to himself as he heard the door slide open as the person he'd been hoping would even eventually show slipped out into the still darkness, shutting it behind her quietly. Her turned his head and let his eyes fall upon her across the courtyard.

Kagome hesitated as she watched her stranger in the dim light of the stars, rubbing her arm as if to self-soothe herself. Even from his perch, Inuyasha could tell she was slightly nervous and fidgety, like a gazelle wanting to flee away from a lion...,yet still unusually curious about the predator she was running from. He watched as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other, as though she was deciding weather or not to move for him.

"You're here," she spoke quietly to herself, her words more of a question then a statement. He nodded, his eyes staring unflinchingly into hers. "And...you can hear me." She said, surprised. He nodded again, and if to prove his point, purposefully swiveled a downy ear in her direction and flickered it at her.

She giggled quietly to herself, the sound floating into the same fuzzy appendages she was giggling about. "Right. Your ears. I forgot."

"How could you?" He grunted as the topic switched to the little eyesores on his head. "They're kinda hard to miss."

Still smiling softly, she started approaching the tree, rounding to the other side she she could face him bester. "You're here," she muttered again, as if she didn't believe her own eyes; afraid that if she blinked he would be gone. Like he was merely a trick of the moonlight.

He arched one of his dark eyebrows as he gave her a look. "I thought we established that already. You're lookin' at me ain't ya?"

Her face deadpanned and she crossed her arms across her chest. "Well duh."

"Then why do you look so confused? Keep that up and your face'll get stuck that way." The left side of his mouth twitched into a grin and she narrowed her eyes and the beginnings of irritation flashed over her expression.

"I'm just wondering why you're here again...on my family's property...in the middle of the night...sitting in...a tree," Kagome said slowly.

He shrugged, like all the things she'd just listed weren't abnormal at all. "I couldn't sleep."

She couldn't stifle the disbelieving snort that escaped her lips. "And you thought the best thing to remedy that was the Goshinboku?"

"Its not a bad place to hunker down if you're tired..._trust me,_" he grumbled almost irritatedly as an afterthought. "I would know. I'm kinda an expert on the subject."

She shook her head as she stared at him, her face hard in concentration as he continued to lounge in the gnarled branches. "Why here? Why this tree?"

Of all the tree's he had to pick, it had to be _this _particular one? Did he understand the significance to this tree, or had it been a random selection? Did he know the history behind it? Did he feel the life literally radiating through its rough bark? Had he sensed its incredible aura the way she had?

His head flicked up in her direction. She stood her ground, her legs and nerve unwavering. Clearly she wanted answers. There was no way she'd continue this bizarre relationship, if that's what you'd even call it, with this….stranger, guy, person if he didn't open up a little.

As if he understood what she was thinking, he took a deep inhale, trying to decide the best way to go about this. "This tree is something important to me," he began and Kagome's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he started talking about himself. Opening up didn't seem to be his forte. "Its always been there for me when I needed it. Its sorta' been the only constant thing in my life, all my life. So when I can't sleep or when I'm feelin' restless I come here to think."

"To think?"

"Yeah, to think. You know, the process in which you use your brain? Its something you're probably not real familiar with," he quipped. He grinned in mild amusement as Kagome visibly tired to control her anger with him. Oh, he was pushing it.

Her jaw set in aggravation and she gave him a look. Talking with hims was like having a conversation with a five-year old. "And just what do you think about out here?" she ground out.

He looked away, staring off at some invisible point in the distance with narrowed eyes. "Stuff."

"Stuff…?" Yep. It was _exactly _like having a conversation with a five-year old.

"Yeah, stuff. Lots of stuff," he mumbled ineloquently.

"Lots of stuff," she echoed as she took a step in his direction.

Thickening clouds parted in the sky, leaving a gap for moonlight to shine through. His face lit up in the cloaked dimness of the bare branches he'd lounged himself in, his eye brightening hypnotically. Her own eyes roamed over his face without any shame as he stared pensively out at the city's landscape, his stare narrowed on a particular spot in the distance.

She took another step, her deep brown eyes thinning into small slits. The shape of his face, his eyes especially, seemed...familiar in an haunting way. Her eyes narrowed even further as she continued to near him. Yes, she saw it now. His promanent jawline, the smooth curve of his face, his defined eyebrows, reminded her of a certain new student at her school. A certain new _annoyingly addictive _student that hadn't removed himself from her mind all day.

She stopped walking, her legs practically trembling to a halt.

_No_. It couldn't be. There was no way. The idea was too outrageous.

As she continued to study the achingly familiar figure before her, her mind drifting more and more toward the inconceivable idea, the more she realized how alike they looked. His slender nose, the round shape of his eyes, the full shape of his lips...They appeared a little too much like Inuyasha's nose, eyes and lips. Their hair was the same length, cut,and style and their physical features were almost identical.

She opened her mouth, ready to call him out on it, but common sense made her stop. She clamped her mouth shut. There just wasn't anyway Inuyasha and the mysterious person perched in her family's tree were one-and-the-same. Couldn't be. She could see the resemblance in most of their physical features, but how on earth was she supposed to explain that wealth of silver hair? Inuyasha definitely did not have moon-kissed hair. He certainly _did not _have two inch claws in place of where human fingernails should've been. And most importantly, there was no way he had dog ears twitching atop his head. She would've noticed that, surely.

Inuyasha was human, of that she was completely sure. This..._stranger_ was something else. Something else entirely.

"Take a picture. It'll last longer," he groused, irritated at having her gazing at him like that. Irritated, and slightly bashful at her unfazed staring. When she didn't blush or look away like he figured she would, and continued to study him like he was an abstract artwork piece hanging in a museum, he frowned down at her. "You gonna keep starin' or what? 'Cause its starting to tick me off."

She rolled her eyes and continued toward the protruding roots. "You sure are charming, aren't you?"

Almost out of old habit, he folded his arms in the sleeves of his thick sweatshirt. "Keh. Thats what people tell me."

Kagome pressed her back up against the rough bark of Goshinboku and let gravity carry her down until she reached the ground. Pulling her knees in to her chest, she wrapped her arms around her ankles and stared up at the dark sky.

The night was clear and reasonably warm, despite the fact that it was late fall. She watched the stars twinkle in the sky almost proudly and heard the stranger shift in the branches, like he was confused and slightly uncomfortable at the deafening silence that stretched on between them. He cleared his throat and she thought he mumbled something under his breath.

"What?" She asked quietly. "Did you say something?"

"Huh?" She heard more uncomfortable rustling above her. "No, I didn't say anything. You must be hearin' things." Huffing, Kagome rolled her eyes and fought of a smirk. 'Hearing things' her foot. She knew he'd said something.

"Hey, girl," he said suddenly, breaking the silence.

"I have a name, you know." She muttered conversationally, resting the back of her head against the base of the tree. "Its Kagome—_Ka-Go-Me._" She repeated, a little slower, as if his mind was incapable of taking it in otherwise. She paused, her head tilting up in his direction curiously. "Whats yours?"

"Its-... Oh nice try, wench. I ain't falling for that one. And you don't have to keep repeating your name, so stop talking to me like I'm some ignorant half-whit."

She stomached her laughter. _Wench_? Did he really just call her a wench? She sighed, getting accustomed to the brash way he spoke. "You have to give me _some _credit for trying."

All she received was his usual noncommittal, "keh."

"Anyway, you were saying?"

She glanced up the length of the trunk, her eyes lifting and lifting until they came to rest upon the distinct outline of the stranger, supported by the knotted branch limbs directly above her. Although it was hard to see much of anything in the dim light of the stars, his bright eyes glowed steadily as he peered down at her. He pushed himself deeper into the tree, stretched his arms out behind his head and wrenched his eyes away from her and looked up at the dark sky, much like Kagome had done.

"Do you trust me?" he asked in a deathly soft voice, one that sent a resonating shiver up her spine.

Kagome's eyebrows knit in confusion, her body tensing. "What?"

"I said...do you trust me?"

"I..." Kagome shifted. How on earth was she supposed to answer that out-of-the-blue question?

She barley knew the guy—didn't even know his name! A clear _heck no, are you crazy?_ should have easily slipped off her tongue. However as she continued to sit there, underneath the Goshinboku, which pulsed in a way that Kagome could only describe as soothing, she realized she couldn't say it even if she'd wanted.

His ear flickered on top of his platinum locks at a minenute sound she couldn't hear herself and something unrecognizable whispered _trust in him_ in a very sparse and dark part of her brain. The voice accompanied the powerful urge in her to go to him and allow him to gather her in his strong arms. It was not unlike the urge some people get to jump out of a speeding jet ten-thousand feet in the air or off a high cliff; the urge to let go personal inhibitions and fly.

"Why?" She inquired softly and felt herself nervously cracking her knuckles, the strangers ears twitching at the sound of each knuckle's _pop._

She watched him shift again in his treetop perch, his gaze narrowing thoughtfully on the constellations. "Im just curious about what you think of me."

She considered him and what he'd said for a few prolonged seconds before saying, "I think you're sad." She could see the melancholy dulling his eyes as he looked out over the horizon. It was a look that she knew all to well because she felt it too. She was sad and alone and confused by it all. He seemed to be in the same boat, more or less. Life seemed to be getting the best of the both of them.

What she'd said seemed to capture his attention real quick. He started, gazing down at the teen like she'd just told him the answer to life and he'd misheard her. "What did you say?"

Subconsciously she tightened her arms around herself as she shrugged. "I said that I think you're sad. You seem...depressed. Like you've lost something or," her eyes clashed with his in the darkness, "or someone." She finished quietly.

He stared at her with a hard expression, contemplating. She'd been able to study him so intently, been able to read his emotions and inner most thoughts like lines on an open page in a book. "And you figured all of this out by meeting me twice, did you?"

"Well, yes. And it hasn't been just two meetings." She pointed a reprimanding finger at him. "Don't you go and forget about your little romp in my hospital room. I sure haven't." She huffed. "Speaking of which, you still aren't going to tell me who you are, how you know me and why you where there that night, are you?" No point and skirting around the elephant in the room.

He reached over and plucked a dying leaf off a bare branch and began to peel the dry petal from the stem. "Nope," he replied bluntly. "Get used to disappointments from me."

"Because I wouldn't want to know once I found out," She continued, putting aside what he'd said about disappointments. "Because I'd hate you again, wasn't that what you told me?"

"That's right. " His fist tightened around the leaf in his hand, his eyes focused somewhere else in some other place, some other time. "It's best for everyone."

Kagome shook her head, annoyed. "I didn't think you would."

"What? You don't agree with that?"

She sent him a sharp glare. "Of course I don't. I want to know who you are...more the anything."

"Believe me its better this way."

Kagome scoffed in disbelief, and like someone had snapped their fingers the conversation died. Just like that.

Not liking the foreboding silence that had fallen over the young girl he said, "you never answered my question." He watched as the crunchy leaf disintegrated in his hand—the broken fragments carried off by the wind.

Kagome wanted to say, _"Well you never answer any of mine,"_ but she held her tongue. Instead she asked, "Which was...?"

"Trust me. Do you trust me?"

"Why do you care so much if I trust you or not?"

A twitch developed in his eyebrow. "Would you stop answering my questions with more questions, woman?!"

Kagome jumped to her feet petulantly at his tone, glaring up into the branches unafraid. "My name is Kagome!"

"I know what your name is!" His voice came out in a rumble that suspiciously sounded like a growl of irritation.

Still glaring, she brought a finger to her lips and motioned her head back toward her house. "Be quiet. You'll wake everyone."

He glared right back at her, not shaken by her attitude in the least. "I know what your name is, Kagome," he grumbled in a hushed tone, not wanting to wake anyone. What a sight _that _would be.

A random dog-eared person, that the Higurashi family didn't know, perched in their sacred tree yelling at Kagome like some lunatic in the middle of the night. How would he explain that one? '_Nice night for sitting in a tree?' _Or maybe, _'how 'bout this Goshinboku, huh? It's really something?' _He'd look like a total ass and the night would probably end with phoning the cops— they might even call someone from a psychiatric hospital to lock him away. No, he definitely did _not _want to wake anyone.

Kagome's hands resumed their position on her hips, meeting and holding his gaze while he leaned over the branch to scowl at her. The way he spoke to her, letting her name slip past his lips like it belonged there, the way he snipped at her, the way his eyes found her's so easily in the dark, was like he'd known her forever. He acted so indifferent about the situation but she felt anything but. She gnawed on her bottom lip to keep from yelling out in anger. Why did he act like he knew her so well? Why _did _he know her so well? Why was she the only one that seemed to be out of it all?

"Yes," she finally spat, her sharp stare never wavering.

"Yes what?" He asked, though his voice didn't carry any malice or particular irritation, just mild exhaustion.

Her tone was hard, unshakable, determined. As though she had something to prove. "Yes. I trust you."

His eyes widened fractionally, surprise flashing across his face for a fleeting second before he straightened his shoulders and it was replaced quickly by nonchalance. "Why?"

She felt herself fending off the urge to roll her eyes. What was up with this guy? "I trust you not to hurt me. If you'd wanted to do that, you would've done it already."

He made an indescribable face at her, his clawed hands snaking out of his sleeves to grip the unhelpful branch beneath him. "_That's _all you trust me for?"

Her eyebrow cocked, lips pursed. "Well I don't have have any other reason to trust you. And why should I? You haven't given me one good reason. I can't just trust some stranger I don't even know. You have to earn trust, build it with someone. And all you've done is confuse me even more then I already am. You come waltzing into my hospital room—and my life—telling me you're 'taking me away,' only to disappear. And now here you are, _again, _sitting in the Goshinboku like you own it or something. "

One of his ear's flickered in alertness at her tone, causing her eyes to stray to it momentarily. "What are you confused about?" He wondered, his tone suddenly softer. His head tilted to the side slightly, making him appear like a curious puppy.

Disregarding how slightly cute he looked at the moment, she threw her hands up into the air and started walking back and forth at the bottom of the tree not three feet below, resembling a prowling lioness pacing in its cage. Had he even heard a word of anything else she'd said?

"I'm confused about everything!" He swung his legs over the side of the branch and folded his arms across his chest, watching as Kagome began rambling, talking more to herself then to him. "I'm confused on why I feel this way. I feel like I should know something that I'm missing and its driving me crazy. It's like a hole has been punched right out of my life and I don't even know what it is! I feel..._wrong _in my own skin." She looked his way, eyes sullen. "Do you have any idea what that's like?"

Surprised and confused at hearing her saying such things, he nodded. "...More then you could probably imagine."

Kagome abruptly stopped pacing and stared up at him. "Why me?" She asked sincerely, sounding exhausted. "Why do you follow me? Why are you inside of my head?" She pressed both palms onto the side of her head and closed her eyes, as if to push him out that way. "I don't understand you and that frustrates me more then anything. I know I should know you and yet-"

"You don't," he finished quietly, his tone matching hers. He almost sounded like a deeper echo.

Her eyes opened and her hands floated down to her sides, her slender fingers curling into twinned fists. "Exactly."

The word slipped from her lips and cast the air around them into silence. Faintly, Inuyasha picked up the sound of the wind stirring the branches of the trees around them, but just faintly. He was too engrossed in her, too engrossed on how she stared up at him. Their eyes connected and they silently looked intently at one another, trying to figure each other out.

But it was Kagome who was the first to tear her gaze away, not liking the way his razor sharp eyes were drawing her in. He was making her forget everything, making her forget that she was irritated at him for not opening up more. Those eyes, gold and deceptively beguiling, made her forget herself. Her arms slid around her torso as small welts taking the form of goosebumps spread across her skin, not from the night wind but the way his continued to asses her. It was all too much.

A slight smirk tugged at his lips as when he caught her blushing slightly which only caused her to blush even further.

"I better head inside." She blurted hurriedly and swallowed the lump that had been steadily forming in her throat. "Its getting late and I have school in the morning." He opened his mouth to say, _"So do I,"_ but caught himself mercifully. Kagome eyed him suspiciously as she slowly made her way back toward the house. "I guess I'll see you later or... or whatever."

When she reached the back door, her hand lingered on the handle. "Oh, by the way, when you decide to come back again tomorrow," she glanced at him over the slender curve of her shoulder, but just barely. "Make sure to be a little bit quieter about it. I really have no way of explaining you to my family if you wake them up. You're a little... strange, if you haven't noticed."

He gave her a curt nod, not restraining the slight twinge at the corners of his lips this time. "Duly noted."

She didn't return the expression as she stepped into the house and closed the back door tightly behind her, receding from him like the tide.

Fighting back every instinct and every nerve in his body telling him to go to her, reveal the truth and confess his undying love, Inuyasha watched her go. The strong taste of adrenaline filled his mouth, the powerful muscles in his legs jerked in the direction she'd headed—his body having a mind of its own, wanting to follow the girl. They were magnets, of that he was sure. Somehow after five-hundred years they were still drawn to the other inexplicably by some unknown force. However knowing how she'd feel about him after she found out everything, knew the pain and all of the lies, held him back.

He jumped out of the tree swiftly and quietly, landed on the ground and headed the opposite directio instead of rushing after Kagome, gathering her in his arms and kissing her until they both saw dazzling stars. He threw the hood of his sweatshirt over his flickering ears and head, cloaking his face in darkness. He shoved his callused hands into the deep pockets of his sweatshirt and began to descend the many steps that connected the sidewalk to the shrine.

However he didn't do it without a stupid happy grin on his face. Kagome hadn't said _if _he came back to Sunset shrine tomorrow. She'd said _when. _She was expecting him tomorrow night. And, even in its smallest measurement, hope flared inside his chest. It wasn't much, but it was still something. It was still hope. Hope that he could hold, grasp, and cling to. That's all he'd been doing for the last five-hundred years anyway; hoping.

Drowning himself in his thoughts, he allowed the murky darkness of night to envelop him as he quietly walked back to his lonely apartment down the empty sidewalks of the city, the only light coming from the glowing street-lamps overhead.

-:-:-:-:-

"Long night?" Someone teased behind Kagome as she stepped through the front door of school the next morning. She rolled her eyes but smirked none the less. The loud chitchat of her classmates as they made their way to their first class and the harsh glare from the fluorescent lights in the ceiling making her wince. She was way to tired for this.

"Something like that," she muttered, glancing over at Inuyasha. The way he'd leaned his back against set of lockers, one foot crossed over the other, told her he'd been waiting for her. He stared at her with a small grin as she arrived looking like something the cat dragged in.

"You look like hell," he snorted and pushed away from the lockers, stepping beside her as they moved down he hallway. "You've got major bags under your eyes."

"Stop with the sweet talk, you're smothering me." She bit out sarcastically and shoved him, causing him to stumble and bump into someone walking the opposite direction down the packed hallway. "You sure know how to make a girl feel special, don't you Inuyasha?"

He glared teasingly at her as he had to side-step the person she'd pushed him into, muttering a quick apology for _her _morning grouchiness before catching up again. "What kept you up so late?" He asked with his best aloof voice, stuffing his large hands into his trouser pockets. "Had a hot date or somethin'?" He stifled the urge to snicker childishly as she glared tiredly up at him. Oh, he knew who'd kept her up last night all right.

"No," she blustered, a slight tint of pink dusting over the apples of her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. "I did _not _have a date, not that its any of your business. I was just..uh...studying. I have a lot of homework to catch up on."

"Mhm," he hummed, sounding completely unconvinced. He was right. She was a miserable liar.

"I'm telling the truth." She insisted.

He grinned at her piss-poor lie, looking down at her as she walked, purposefully avoiding his eyes. He noticed the way she fiddled with her backpack strap and ducked away, a charming blush spreading across her cheeks. His grin disappeared as his mouth opened slightly and both his dark eyebrow's rose in mild surprise. _Well, well, well. Would you look at that. Isn't that interesting? _It would seem that Kagome, evidently, had a small crush on...him. Sort of.

Forcing himself to keep up his pace, he fell even with Kagome as they walked, ignoring the slight pang of hurt that fluttered through his chest at the thought of her with another guy. Which was completely unnecessary, seeing as how he actually felt that twinge of jealousy jostle in his stomach...over _himself!_

_Stupid, _he chided himself none to kindly. _You're getting all in a tizzy for no reason, acting like a jealous little school girl._

"So did you finish the homework assignment last night?" Kagome asked, smoothly changing the subject.

"Like I have a choice." He snorted indignantly. "Sesshomaru would kill me if I didn't try my hardest."

She glanced up at him as they kept walking, their footsteps equal and matching as they moved across the linoleum floor. "Your brothers the principal, isn't he?"

"How'd you guess?" He asked rhetorically.

But Kagome didn't seem to notice that he didn't expect an answer. "Your eyes," she answered immediately, as though his eyes were the only thing occupying her mind. "They're the same shade of brown. They even have the same dark speckles around the irises." She seemed to fall into her own kind of girly thoughts and Inuyasha grinned down his nose at her.

"You studied my eyes that intently?" Now he was fully amused.

She was wrenched from her thoughts and her head hastily jerked up in his direction. "What? No! Of course not. I just noticed those similarities between you both, thats all," she replied quickly. A little _too _quickly.

He chuckled, the reverberating sound making his strong shoulders shake. "Hmm. And here I thought our obvious brotherly trait was our mushy love for each other," he replied with a snarky roll of his eyes.

Kagome snorted quietly, knowing that there seemed to be a rather large rift between the Takahashi brothers.

When they finally made it to class, Inuyasha let Kagome enter first and followed after her as they made their way down the long isle of desks, moving toward their seats. Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka had pushed their chairs closer to each other so their seats were flush up against Ayumi's desk, and the girls were whispering quietly with what was probably petty gossip.

Kagome smiled at them, slowing as she made it to their spots. They didn't look up at her approach, but she figured they still weren't ignoring her like they had yesterday. "Morning guys."

The girls conversation died slowly and all three girls glanced up to give her matching looks of complete irritation, gazing a her like she was nothing but a nuisance. None of them replied to her. Just stared.

Kagome felt her ears burn. Then again, maybe they _were_ still mad at her for sitting with Inuyasha. She frowned at them—and their attitudes—and kept walking. As Inuaysha passed the girls desks he sent them an equally nasty glare.

"I see your _friends_ are still pissed that you sat with me yesterday, huh?" Inuyasha asked loudly, purposefully putting an emphasis on the word 'friends,' making sure the group of girls heard him and knew they were acting like anything but.

Kagome set her school bag off to the side as she sat down. "I guess so. I'm just not sure why they don't like you." When she realized how bad that sounded, her eyes widened and she hastily sent him an apologetic glance. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that."

"Yeah, you did." He eased into his chair, his glossy long hair falling down his back and shoulders. His hand rose to subconsciously rub the red cloth in his lapel. "People see me but nothin' more then a bad kid, a trouble maker; someone who's always doing something wrong. Everything's automatically my fault, even if its not—been like that my whole life and its nothing new. I'm always the outcast. People see me how they want to see me. But I'm used to it by now, Kagome."

Kagome's eyes softened at his words, subconsciously shifting towards his direction. "_I_ don't think of you like that."

His hand never leaving the strange piece of cloth in his uniform pocket, his eyes suddenly took on a wicked gleam, his mouth lifting into an impish smirk. "I know what you think of me." When her eyebrows shot into her hairline and she sent him a look that said '_Oh? And just what _do _I think of you,' _he said "You think I'm a hunk."

Kagome burst into laughter, glad that they weren't talking about his slightly somber background any longer. "You are so full of yourself, you know that?"

"I notice you didn't deny it..." He kicked up his feet onto his desk, looking like a king reclining proudly on his throne.

"Don't worry, I deny it." She watched as he closed his eyes, his smirk still firmly in place.

"Now your denying denial, Kagome, and that's just sad."

Before she could try and defend herself, Mr. Kitsune scurried into the class just as the bell chimed overhead. "Sorry I'm late, class." His auburn hair was slightly disheveled and his celtic eyes were wild. "I just had a little..." he placed his suitcase on onto the ground next to his desk chair and began rummaging through his drawers with shaky fingers. "Talk with our _wonderful _principal that ran a little later then expected," he finished.

The small, irritated emphasis as he mentioned the principal made Kagome smirk. Clearly the principal had let him have it about something one way or another this morning. Without looking up, Mr. Kitsune muttered, "Mr. Takahashi put your feet down and stop slouching like a neanderthal." He said it tiredly, like he reprimanded Inuyasha for it all the time.

Inuyasha's eyes popped open comically and he set his feet back onto the ground, casting a curious glance at Kagome. "How does he always know?"

Finally looking up from his attendance book and narrowing his flashy eyes on the teen Mr. Kitsune replied, "because you're predicable. That's why." Addressing the rest of the classroom and ignoring the small warning growl the dark haired teen seemed to emit from between clenched teeth he said, "Alright, lets get on with it then."

The hour slowly trickled by. Mr. Kitsune went through attendance as quickly as possible, had everyone turn in their homework assignments, and then began their daily lesson. When he finished his lecture, he announced to the class that they would be starting to work on a partnered project.

"I expect both partners to work equally on this assignment. I don't want to hear that one partner is working harder then the other, alright? If I do, your finished project grade will be docked twenty-five points." The whole class joined in on a collective groan.

Mr. Kitsune began assigning partners but Kagome turned him out. She turned her head toward the open window, her eyes glazing over as she watched leaves fall from a nearby tree outside. Her mind kept wandering back to the stranger. _Her _stranger. She thought back to the night before, how deep his voice was and how, surprisingly, soothing it had been on her frayed nerves. How taken back she had been when she realized she was happy she'd been when she saw the outline of his figure in the tree; like a fantom ghost. A feeling of relief had washed over her. Yet she didn't know why. And it was driving her insane.

She started subconsciously tapping her pencil on the desktop like a nervous fidget._If only I could figure out who he is,_ she thought, her tongue poking out to wet her bottom lip in unease.

"Kagome..."

The pencil tapping grew faster and her leg started bobbing up and down underneath her desk shakily. She couldn't sit still. _If only I could find out what he wants from me._

"Kagome."

_If only I could just-_

A hand gripped her shoulder and shook her gently. "Kagome?"

She twisted her shoulders around to look at him, simultaneously slapping her pencil down onto the desk. Her leg bobbing ceased. "Huh?"

Inuyasha stared at her, concern softening his usually hard expression. "Are you okay? You were zoning."

She laughed. It was a harsh, high-pitched kind of sound. Unnatural. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't _look_ fine."

"Then stop looking."

His eyes narrowed, but he didn't question her any further. She clearly didn't want to talk about whatever had sent her into an almost eerie kind of silence. "Okaaay..." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Anyway, you missed who you were assigned to be partners with while you daydreamed and beat the crap out of your pencil."

She ignored his comment and asked,"Who's my partner?"

A sphinx smile slowly spread across Inuyasha's face as he flashed a row of impeccably white teeth. "You're lookin' at him."

Kagome's eyes widened and she leaned closer towards his desk. "What? You?"

His lips twitched as his smile wavered. "Why do you say that like its a bad thing? I'm not _that _much of a terrible person now am I? C'mon Kagome. I'm not all that bad once you get to know me."

"That's not it. Its just that I..."

When her sentence trailed his eyebrows drew to the middle of his forehead. "...That you what?"

She glanced away, unable to look into his eyes."That I need to get a good grade and I just want to have a responsible partner."

She left out the part where he gave her the chills when he looked at her with his dark eyes, and how she didn't know how she'd even be able to focus on their project if he was looking at her with them. And how he had grown on her in the minuscule time they'd spent together. Kagome wasn't blind. She could clearly see how impossibly attractive Inuyasha was. But that was the problem. He was good-looking, but he was also trouble. Definitely trouble. And trouble was something she wanted to avoid at all costs at the moment.

She continued to avoid his gaze. "Thats all."

Inuyasha could tell that she was lying. He could always tell when she was lying, even when he didn't have his demon senses to sniff it out on her. She would nibble on her lip and start fingering her hands through her hair, like she was doing now. But as to why she was lying...he could never tell. So instead of making her worry any further, he decided to try a gentler approach.

"Don't worry so much, Kagome. I have an A-minus in this class. If anyone should be worried about bum partners that don't do their fare share, it should be me. You're the one that been out of school for two months and have a shit load of school work to focus on." Well he did _try _and be gentle.

Kagome smirked at his rough attempt to make her feel better. "You're right. I have no reason to worry." She shook her head like she'd been crazy for ever thinking that way. "I trust you."

That seemed to brighten his mood considerably. He visibly fought off a smile. "Good. Its about damn time." Kagome didn't know exactly what he meant by that but didn't say anything about it. "So are we goin' fifty-fiffty on this project, then?" Inuyasha asked, leaning forward ever so slightly.

It was Kagome's turn to smile, wide and bright. She shoved her hand out his direction. "I believe we have a deal, Takahashi."

His eyes took on a wicked gleam, a look that told her he fully accepted the challenge of working with her. He stuck out his hand and met hers, savoring in the delicious moment their skin brushed and an electrified jolt coursed up his arm. "Deal."

They shook on it.

-:-:-:-:-

There were three main things about Ayame Ookami that Kagome was absolutely sure of.

The first was that she was gorgeous. And not in an obviously overrated way, but in a alluring kind of way. Her wicked red hair—pilled up into two wild pigtails at the top of her head—set her apart from most others. (Excluding Mr. Kitsune's auburn tresses of course.) Milky skin expanded over her well defined, yet feminine, muscles and contrasted beautifully with her vivid locks and striking eye color; dull emerald. Catlike eyes bordered by heavy-set eyelashes and a full bottom lip gave a pouty and charming look to her. She was a petite women but had strong, distinct leg muscles that were displayed tastefully in the grey pencil skirt she wore.

In essence, she was lovely.

The second, and completely adverse to the first, was that she was a total scatter brain. Despite her good-looks and dazzling smile, Ayame had no idea what she was doing.

Kagome sighed and leaned into the open palm of her hand as her elbow rested on the tabletop, watching half amusedly as Ayame flitted her way around the Home Economics class. She was currently pulling open utensil drawers, cabinets, and cupboards frantically as she searched for something. A few students chuckled as they watched her as she continued to stumble and fumble her way around the room.

"Do you need any help, Ayame?" One of the student's finally asked. The class was growing bored or watching her skitter around.

And that was another thing. Ayame had personally asked the class to call her Ayame instead of Mrs. Ookami. It made her feel older then her gramps, she'd told the class, whatever _that _meant.

Ayame laughed lightly as she dug head first into one of the drawers she was scavenging through. "N-no thanks."

And the third thing about Ayame that Kagome had figured out since meeting the women at the beginning of class was that she was married to none other than her gym teacher, Koga. And judging by the iceberg of a wedding ring sitting on her slender ring finger Kagome figured Ayame was a tad spoiled.

Kagome started picking at her bookbinder and the spine of her notebook. Fiddling, her mother liked to call it. She couldn't help it. A feeling was bubbling, raging in the pit of her stomach at the thought of Koga being married to the spacey women in front of her. It was a feeling that was halfway between complete confusion and utter understanding. Which made absolutely no sense and only befuddled her all the more.

The confusion was because she couldn't understand why she'd even care about their marriage. Before yesterday she didn't even know the two of them existed. However, now that she did, and now that she knew they were married, it made her feel...uneasy.

But in the same breath, she could completely understand why the two of them would've been attracted to one another. Koga was gorgeous. Ayame was beautiful. Together, she was sure, they would make a killer pair.

And yet Kagome couldn't figure it out. She was at a loss, once again. That feeling, that little voice in the back of her brain telling her she was missing something like the shrill sound of an alarm, was back. That voice seemed to find its way back to her easiest when she was around Inuyasha, the weirdo that liked to sit himself in the Goshinboku at night, and the new staff at the school.

"Huh." She ghosted her pointer finger and thumb across her bottom lip thoughtfully.

Now that she brought her full attention on the subject, it did seem rather peculiar that 'the feeling' seemed to be strongest and most apparent (and annoying) when Inuyasha, her stranger, and or any members of the newly hired staff from school were around. It was almost like 'the feeling' revolved around them somehow...

"I found it!" Ayame shouted in glee as she _finally _found the attendance book. Kagome snapped out of her thoughts. "Alright class, lets get this thing going, hm?"

Kagome waited patiently as Ayame called out the attendance, ignoring the almost harsh way the women called out her own name when she reached it, and then continued on. When she was done, she clapped her hands in motivation and slapped the book closed.

"Okay. So today we will be working in the kitchens, as you can already tell. We will be making a basic vanilla cake, and if we have any spare time at the end of class you will be able to decorate your cakes in any way your group decides to. So lets get started."

The class was then broken up into groups of four and each group was assigned to a kitchen. Kagome was assigned to kitchen three. There were four kitchen stations (not including Ayames, the teaching station) that were placed in a circle around the room, so each student could see the instructor. Each kitchen unit was set up with an oven, a stove, a microwave, a dishwasher, and a set of cabinets and drawers for eating and dining utensils.

Kagome tied a worn apron around her neck and waited patiently for the lesson to start. She was sure that Ayame must've been awesome cook to have landed her a Home Ec. job at their school if nothing else.

She couldn't have been more wrong if she tried.

The first thing that went horribly wrong was that Ayame couldn't even find any of the cooking utensils she needed. And when she finally did, she floundered desperately as she tried to turn the mixer on and scared herself as she set the beater's—'Devil Machines' as she dubbed them—to high and watched as the steel spatulas went berserk in the mixing bowl. She tried to keep herself calm and collected, but failed miserably at it. The class chuckled quietly to themselves as she screeched at the mixer, and Kagome merely felt sorry for her. She obviously didn't belong in the kitchen.

The second thing that turned south, was she added too much butter to cake mix. Ayame tried to work with the schools cook book, but didn't seem to understand what the text was telling her. At one point she even held up her teaspoon and promptly asked the class "what the heck a tsssp. was."

In the end, the cake mix ended up goopy and sloppy. The class tired to follow along to what she was saying, but most of them went ahead and followed the book instead. When she placed all the ingredients in the bowl, turned the mixer on high, all of the contents went sailing about and splattered all over her fine hair and face.

Swiping at her face to see, Ayame set the oven at a much higher temperature then what the book read, and placed her goopy cake into the oven and shut the doors. Then she turned and observed the rest of the class as they finished their own creations.

Kagome's group, group three, did wonderfully. They worked together with precision and equal teamwork with little disagreements on what should be done. When they were finished, they poured their cake mix into a pan and placed it into the oven.

While they waited for their cake to bake, the rest of Kagome's group started talking amongst themselves, and she tried to join in on the conversation, but failed. Inuyasha wasn't in her Home Ec. class, and she secretly wished he was. It was, dare she think it, lonely without him.

That morning after history, during their joint gym class and then lunch, the two of them had acted like long lost friends catching up on old times. The air around them was constantly effortless and she never felt, even for a fleeting second, uncomfortable around him. He still seemed like the type of guy she'd usually stay away from, but he'd made her think differently. He'd joked with her, and she'd smart-mouthed him while Koga had glared at the both of them from the sidelines.

During lunch, Kagome had been pleasantly surprised with Inuyasha...again. He'd waited patiently as she bought her lunch, then walked her to the same table that was pushed back away from the rest of the cafeteria that they'd sat at the day before and they had enjoyed a quiet lunch for two. Joking with one another, they playfully bickered back and forth. It had seemed like no one else had mattered or existed to Kagome. Her friends were still avoiding her and Inuyasha really didn't have any other friends. The two of them had become an unlikely pair and were sticking with each other like glue. Not that she minded. Not at all. Being with him was...nice, even if she didn't want to admit it. Even to Inuyasha.

_Especially _to Inuyasha, she thought to herself with a weary smirk. If he knew that he had already taken up a small residence inside of her heart, his ego would puff up to an unbearable size, and his ego was already larger then anybody she'd ever known.

And even though they had only spent limited time together, Kagome felt like she'd known Inuyasha forever. Being with him was like..._breathing. _It was that easy.

Suddenly an alarm bell started blaring out from one of the fire alarms near the ceiling, tearing Kagome from her daydream violently with its loud monotone buzzing.

A thick black vapor clouded the room in a dark, grainy fog, causing Kagome to choke. Eyes tearing up as the harsh smoke stung her retinas, the confused teen waved a futile hand in front of her face as she fought for fresh air. She blinked, trying with an unsuccessful effort to clear her vision.

This wasn't the type of smoke that usually came along with a building fire, Kagome realized; it wasn't heavy or thick enough for that. It was the kind of smoke that smelt more bitterly then it did harm. She took a deep breath and gasped again, her throat and windpipe trying to repel whatever acrid taste was in the air. Placing her arm over her mouth, she breathed through her nose. Sure her nostrils flared as she took in a deep whiff of what smelt like seared fish, but at least she could breathe easier.

More students started spluttering and Kagome searched the room, trying to find that cause for whatever was burning. Her eyes finally landed on Ayame as she took her now burnt—and burning—cake from the oven and placed it on the countertop. She fanned her hand over the fried mess in front of her and coughed.

"Well," she coughed again, this time laughing shakily, "I guess this batch isn't any good. I must've done something wrong." A hand went to her hip as her other hand flew to her forehead, which still had cake batter all of it, thoughtfully, as though she couldn't possibly fathom why her baking wasn't any good.

_You think? _Kagome rolled her eyes and made her way for one one of the many windows that lined the room and cracked it open, gulping down a lung-full of fresh, fall air. _Geez, where did she _come _from? She's a terrible Home Ec. teacher. _Smoke started clearing from the room as other students followed her lead and started opening the other windows.

"I'm delighted to see the fire alarms are working," came a dry remark from the class doorway.

Kagome turned to find Sesshomaru standing casually in the doorframe, though casual really wasn't a word Kagome would've used to describe him. The three piece, grey suit he wore was freshly pressed and was filled out by his broad shoulders, the dark blue tie around his neck standing out against the white pop of his shirt. His dark hair, dark as a raven's wing, was pulled back into a slick ponytail that ended all the way down at the backs of his ankles. He commanded attention by the sheer force of his magnetism, which filled the room almost as potently as the smoke from Ayames failed attempt of baking had.

She took all of him in with a sweeping motion of her eyes and when her gaze finally reached his face she was startled to find that he was staring at her, his expression pinched unexplainably. She turned her head to the right and left to make sure that, yes, he was in-fact looking at _her._

"Sorry about that." Ayame laughed again. She made her way over to Sesshomaru and placed a hand on his shoulder, like he wasn't her boss. It was friendly, innocent, as though she did it all the time. And thats why the gesture struck Kagome as odd. "I guess I got a little carried away with-"

"Yes, well don't let it happen again. I will not tolerate your ignorance to what you are _teaching,_" he finally took his sharp gaze off of Kagome and cast it onto Ayame, "to disrupt my school. Just because your husband is, undoubtedly, irreplaceable, that doesn't mean that _you_ are. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

Kagome watched Ayame gulp from her place across the room at his words, slowly removing her hand from his shoulder and lowering her gaze to her feet, her hand leaving a baking flower impression on his suit. "Yes sir."

He inclined his chin at her obedience. "Very good." He turned to go, once again settling his eyes on Kagome as she still stood by the window. "Lets make sure to be a little more careful next time, hmm?"

He'd said it to the class, but it felt as though he was specifically telling it to her—trying to tell her something she didn't understand. He narrowed his stare on her when she didn't respond, and promptly swiveled on his heel and headed out the door.

Shaky hand rising to her collarbone, where Sesshomaru's stare had prickled hotly at her skin most, Kagome let out a deep breath she didn't know she'd been holding. And suddenly she knew, with startling realization, that he hadn't been staring at her eyes. No, Sesshomaru hadn't been looking at her. Her hand slipped underneath the top hem of her shirt to finger the cool gem of the necklace that she'd been wearing almost obsessively. He had been looking at the necklace.

The heavy weight, the feeling of the smooth pearl in her hands, usually left her feeling at ease. When she'd hold it in her hand she had no doubts and felt no fear, and all of her uncertainty dissipated like smoke unfurling in the air. It was turning into her own personal security blanket. Except for now. Now it felt like anything but. She looked down at the clear trinket as it rested in her open palm.

_"Lets make sure to be a little more careful next time, hmm?" _His words swam around in her head forebodingly. What he'd said hadn't been a friendly reminder from a principal to his student.

It had been warning.

-:-:-:-:-

Dulled leaves crunched loudly underfoot as she made her way out of school. She heaved her backpack onto her shoulder and brought the collar of her light jacket higher towards her ears, trying to thwart off the bitter nip in the wind. Winter was definitely coming.

"Kagome!"

The dark haired girl paused just as she reached the parking lot of the school, turning to find Mr. Ookami jogging down the steps of the building. "Is there something you need, Mr. Ookami?" She asked when he stopped in front of her, brushing her hair out of her face with the back of her hand as the wind swept it into her face.

"Nope. I was just heading out to my car to grab some gym equipment that I forgot to bring in this morning." He cut her a smile, his crystal clear blue eyes wrinkling slightly around the edges, making him appear older. "You just happened to be heading the same way."

She smiled back as they kept walking, trying to seem polite. Their footsteps synched, the dead, brittle leaves underneath their feet snapping and breaking at the same time. Kagome glanced at him discreetly, noticing how peaceful his face looked, his eyes half lidded while he faced the crisp winds. He seemed to be enjoying himself in the fresh air. Kagome smiled at him and eventually tore her eyes off of his sun tanned skin and dark hair.

It was odd. She had never had this kind of relationship with a teacher before; where she could speak freely and open-mindedly.

"So I heard you had quite the day in Home Ec. today." He chuckled. "Sorry I missed it."

A small giggled bubbled its way up Kagome's throat and snuck past her lips. "Ayame sure knows how to...um...cook."

His head tipped back as he laughed. "Yeah. She's never been the best chef." He sighed and shook his head, a loving smile still in place on his lips. "But thats my woman."

_"Your my woman now, Kagome."_

Kagome nearly jumped as a voice filled her ears and her footsteps slowed, her lips turning down into a bewildered frown. "What did you say?"

He turned, confused at why she stopped walking. "What?" He thought about what he'd just said before he settled on,"my woman?"

Those words seemed to spark something inside her. Her subconscious roared to life like a wild beast that hadn't been let out of its cage for far too long, and voices suddenly filled her head, crashed into her thoughts with words from a forgotten past.

"_I'm busy and I don't time for dog training today so I'll let you escape. Go home puppy! Get out of my face!" _The voice sounded suspiciously like Mr. Ookami's.

Kagome shook her head, closing her eyes. The words sounded distant—like a faded dream. Yet for some reason they were eerily familiar.

_"Shut up!"_ Another voice snarled harshly, the words coming to her weather she wanted them to or not. _"Dream on you stinkin' wolf. You're gunna pay for stealing Kagome!"_

Her brow furrowed. Stinking wolf? Stole? Someone _stole _her? When? And why didn't she remember it!? Certainly she'd remember someone _stealing _her.

_"Hey, dog breath, take this chance to run, but keep your hands off _my women_!" _The first voice was back and it definitely sounded like Mr. Ookami's except more sinister, cocky and brash._ "You got that?"_

Though gentle, Kagome jumped nonetheless as a hand rested itself on her shoulder, shattering her thoughts like fragile glass fragments. "Kagome? Are you alright?"

Kagome blinked, dazed, her head pounding dully. It was like resurfacing from a deep dive underwater. She watched, mesmerized, at the way Mr. Ookami's thumb brushed over her shoulder in a comforting motion.

"Kagome?" He shook her gently when she didn't respond, leaning close so her vision was filled with nothing but his broad shoulder's and concerned gaze. Her eyes, glazed over and glassy, were like two windows into a dark room. "Kagome, please. Say something. You're starting to scare me," he said, practically pleading with her.

"Hey! Is everything alright over here?" A familiar voice demanded harshly.

Just over the hard crest of Mr. Ookami's shoulder, Kagome shook her head and watched as Inuyasha shoved through a crowd of teens that lingered by the front door of the school and quickly headed their way. In one hand he held his bike helmet and in the other the keys, which his swung around his pointer finger agitatedly.

Kagome's face brightened slightly as she watched him make his way over, a slight smile in her lips. "Inuyasha," she mumbled breathily and the man standing in front of her shook his head, a thoughtful frown making his face seem a bit older, a bit wiser. In some way the mere sound of Inuyasha's voice was able to rouse the girl, able to make her see clearly and bring her out of whatever trance she had just been in. It had always been like that, and for some reason Inuyasha was always able to find his way back to her...somehow.

"I was just having a little talk with Kagome, making sure she was okay." Mr. Ookami assured the clearly angry teen. Inuyasha stopped in front of the two and glared darkly at the gym instructors hand as it continued to rest on Kagome's shoulder. His expression read concerned but his eyes flared hotly with _get your filthy hand off oh her. Now._

The dark-haired man took a step back, shoving his hands into his back pockets. He gave Inuyasha a irritated look of his own and they had a silent conversation just between the two of them. Did Inuyasha really think that he wouldn't be worried about Kagome just as much as he was? "Calm down. I was just making sure she was okay. She looked a little pale. I thought maybe she was going to pass out or something."

Inuyasha's eyes were immediately brimming with concern and his full attention was thrust on Kagome. "What?!" He stepped in-between Mr. Ookami, purposefully turning his back was to the man, and leaned close to Kagome. "Hey," he murmured softly, practically cooing. "Are you alright?"

_Damn him to hell,_ _but Koga's right, _Inuyasha thought with a slight sneer. Kagome's cheeks were flushed, her breathing labored and irregular, and she had one hand pressed against her temple as though she had a headache. She looked like she was barely holding herself together.

Though obviously forced, Kagome smiled and tried to wave him off. "I'm fine, you guys, really. Just a little-" she stumbled suddenly, her legs no longer able to hold up her weight. She dropped her bag just as Inuyasha caught her from falling as her knees buckled. Her back rested against his hard chest and stomach and her head gently lolled back onto his shoulder.

When he felt her trying to regain her balance, Inuyasha carefully and gently propped her back onto her feet, holding onto her wrists to steady her. "Dizzy." She finished, trying to laugh lightly. Both men exchanged worried glances behind her back, having yet another silent conversation.

"Kagome maybe I shoulder carry you into the nurse's office and let her check you out. Just to be sure." Mr. Ookami offered, stepping towards her again while he offered her his hand, only to have Inuyasha yank her away peevishly like a child playing keep away with his favorite toy.

His eyes narrowed and he struggled to swallow down a growl as it rumbled in his chest. "Like hell."

Kagome staggered again, her head swimming, vision swirling. She was suddenly really tired and her eyelids dropped. Inuyasha watched her teeter on her own two feet and his mouth formed a tight line. "Alright, thats it." He slid his hand down her arm and intertwined her slender fingers in-between his, not liking how unnaturally clammy her palm felt. "Im taking you home." Mr. Ookami passed Inuyasha another look and he returned with one of his own that read _try and stop me, Kouga. _

The 'gym teacher' knew he would never win against Inuyasha when it came to Kagome (he'd learn'd that lesson a _long _time ago) and chuckled lightly as he held up his hands, starting to back away towards his car as Inuyasha shouldered Kagome's bag.

"Alright you take her home if you think thats what's best. I better head back inside before those nucklehead's on the track team destroy the gym anyway." He watched Inuyasha with Kagome for a moment, an almost sad smile on his lips. "You take care of her, you hear me?"

Inuyasha waved him away distractedly. "Yeah yeah." The teacher finally turned and went for his car as Inuyasha tried to steer Kagome toward his bike, coercing her forward as gently as possible. "Come on Kagome. Lets get you home."

"No," she moaned weakly as he finally gave up on having her walk herself. He tucked his arm underneath her legs and around her back, lifting her to his chest like she weighed nothing, her dark hair pooling over his elbow. Kagome fell into his arms like that was were she was meant to be and allowed herself to be carried like a child, fisting her hand in the material where Inuyasha's shoulder met his neck, underneath his thick hair. "I…stop…don't make me ride that _thing._" she spat, eyeing his bike loathsomely.

He smirked at her distaste in his choice of ride and paused before he set her down onto the seat. "Well how do you figure I should get you home?" When she made no response and only nuzzled her face in the material covering his pecs he looked down at her. "Hmm? How do think I should get you home?"

"Carry me," she sighed, her eyes fluttering closed, the tips of her eyelashes dusting her cheeks and the fabric of his shirt. "You always carry me on your back anyway."

Dark eyes widened comically and he almost dropped the snoozing girl out of surprise. "What did you just say?!" He stared down at her, practically trembling from excitement and anxiousness. Did she remember? he wondered. Yet the girl in his arms merely hummed sleepily and snuggled deeper into his arms, unresponsive. "Kagome?" He asked again, slightly shaking the girl.

But she didn't hear him. She was already asleep, lulled into a comfort that only Inuyasha himself seemed to bring. He started at her for seconds that seemed to pass lazily before he grinned down at her. He freely gazed over her face and watched the way her moist lips parted just slightly as she slept, her eyes fluttering underneath her eyelids, her hand still clutching his clothing almost possessively even in unconsciousness.

Gingerly, he shifted the sleeping beauty onto his back, setting her bag on the graveled ground next to his bike, placing his helmet on one of the handlebars. It was such a familiar position, her small body cradled behind his own, that it made his body and heart ache. Her arms dangled around his neck limply and her cheek rested against his dark hair. He snaked his hands underneath her thighs and locked his hands together to prevent her from shifting or falling off. The insides of her legs brushed against this thighs and he shook of a blush.

_She's so...small_, he mused. Compared to his large six foot stature her small frame seemingly dwarfed in size. She sighed deeply into his back and head butted her face into the thick strands of his hair. He smiled at her unconscious innocence. _I forgot just how tiny she_ was_;_ _fragile._

When he was sure she was secure resting on his back muscles, he skillfully grabbed her bag and headed in the direction of her home.

_This is just like back then. _He lifted his head and basked in the warmth of the sunshine, smiling ever so slightly. How many times had he done this? How many times had he carried her on his back like he was now? However the smile faded just as quickly as it came. _No, its not just like back then. Everything's different and she doesn't even know it. _He glanced briefly over his own shoulder to stare at the slumbering creature that held his inner most affections. _Everything's different. The rules of the game have changed. _

By the time Inuyasha made it to the shrine, walked them both of them up the seemingly never-ending flight of stairs, rang the doorbell and waited for Mr.s Higurashi to invite them in, Kagome was already dreaming.

Underneath her eyelids, colors blurred together like explosive water paintings. Vibrant hues of greens, browns, blues, silvers, and reds clashed together like violent storm clouds; the colors their lighting. Vaguely, she could make out the hazy outlines of moss green trees and the profound shapes of clouds and stars.

She dream't that she was soaring, faster then anyone, animal, or anything else. She dream't that underneath her hands was a strikingly bright red material that was filled out by the shoulder's and back of a person she couldn't see the face of. She clasped at the strange material in-between her fingers. White hair, longer then hers, flew back in her direction and kissed and nipped at her skin, tickling her jaw. It felt like silk. She dreamt of wild fields of yellow, of starry night skies, and of crackling bonfires. She dreamt of laughter.

She dream't that, with the help of another, a person she knew she'd met but didn't remember, she could fly.

-:-:-:-:-

Inuyasha paced himself as he walked Kagome upstairs into her room with Mrs. Higurashi chatting quietly behind him, telling him how much of a good young man he was for walking her home. All of it was very nostalgic—_too _nostalgic—for him. It had been over five-hundred years and he still knew exactly where Kagome's room was, knew every crevice and nook in her house like he'd been there yesterday. And yet it had been over half a millennium. However, to the sleeping girl in his arms, it was as if nothing had changed.

He had to pause as he reached the top of the stairs, almost tripping over himself as a something started weaving in and out of of his legs. _Dammit, _He cursed mentally as he rightened himself and the teen on his back. _If I had my demon senses right now I wouldn't be so clumsy._

When the small, furry body continued its harmless on-slot in-between his feet, he glanced down at smirked knowingly. "Well its good to know that somebody still remembers me," his said, his voice quite. A familiar pair of black eye's peered up at him in return, somehow recognizing the young man when everyone else didn't.

Inuyasha tensed when he saw a gleam of something in the calico's twin eyes. It knew;he knew. "Nice to see you again Buyo." Inuyasha tipped his head ever so slightly in greeting. The overweight cat responded with a hearty meow and yawned, its tongue curling ever so slightly as he arched his back and stretched his paws before going on with nudging Inuyasha's leg with his head affectionately.

"Thats strange. Buyo doesn't take to kindly to strangers." Mrs. Higurashi admitted as she caught up, staring at her pet with curiosity. "Seems like he really likes you."

Inuyasha laughed lightly and continued walking, making sure to avoid stepping on Buyo's tail as it twitched behind him. "Im good with pets, I guess."

He paused outside a familiar door, hand lingering on the cool surface of the doorknob. He closed his eyes momentarily and took a deep breath, allowing Kagome's scent, strong and recognizable without his demonic nose, to flow through his favorite fifth sense. All the small particles of the crisp smell entered his nose and fillled his lungs like air he'd been missing all his life. It smelled so wonderful. It smelled so fresh and light, like lavender flowers after a springtime rain mixed in with soothing sandalwood. It smelled so...so...

"Kagome." He hummed and pushed open the door to her room and stepping inside.

"Thank you again," Mrs. Higurashi said quietly as Inuyasha gently laid Kagome down onto her soft mattress with the gentleness of one handling a baby bird. "Ever since her comma, she's been a little bit out of it. Maybe these past few days have taken a little too much out of her."

With his back to the women so she couldn't see, Inuyasha freely ran his hand down her pale cheek and swanlike neck and stared longingly at her peaceful face. "Yeah," he murmured agreeably. "Maybe." He tore his hand and gaze away from the sleeping teen and looked over at Mrs. Higurashi. "I better be going then. I left my motorcycle and bag back at school."

She nodded though didn't remove her eyesight from her daughter. "Well thank you again. I really appreciate it."

He managed a strained smile despite everything. It was hard to look at this women and have her acting the way she was. He realized and understood that if Kagome didn't know who he was, her mother probably wouldn't either. But it was still hard to stand there and know that he was a stranger in their eyes, to know that their memory had been wiped clean of him like he'd never even been in the first place. "No problem."

Mrs. Higurashi moved over to her daughter and started stroking her cheek (much like he'd just done), allowing him the opportunity to gaze at both women. Their physical features allowed anyone to know that they were related. Kagome's mother had aged a bit since he'd last seen her, but her deep-set eyes still held a young gleam in them, very much like Kagome's.

Knowing he had probably overstayed his welcome, he turned to go and made it all the way down the stairs before he heard Mrs. Higurashi following him. He slipped on his shoes which he'd kicked off when he came inside, opened the door, and moved to leave.

"I don't know what it is about you," Mrs. Higurashi suddenly muttered, startling the young man enough to make him stop mid-stride. "-but I feel like we've met before." He turned his body slightly in the doorframe, looking at her silently with an intense gaze; practically rooting her to the spot. "Have we?" she asked almost timidly, shyly, sounding much like her daughter. She wrung out her hands, a fidgety habit that her daughter liked to do also when she was nervous, and was gazing upon him like he was the largest mystery she'd ever encountered.

"Um...I-" He was cut off abruptly when his phone started buzzing. Huffing, slightly irked that they had been interrupted, he fished around in his pocket before grabbing the offending subject and apologizing quickly to the still puzzled women. He glanced at the caller's ID and swallowed down a much desired snarl when he realized who it was. Hastily, pressing the glowing _answer _button, he pressed the phone to his ear. "What do _you_ want?"

"We need to talk. At home." A monotoned, controlled, voice rumbled from the other side of the line. "Now."

He rolled his eyes and groaned. He was so _not _in the mood for this right now. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Does it sounded like Im kidding, little brother?" Sesshomaru asked with as much stone cold detachment as he was known for. "Get over here as fast as your half-breed blood can take you."

Inuyasha swallowed, feeling the raging demon within him fighting against the power of Tōtōsai's magic, the earring in his earlobe growing hotter, heating with each crude remark. "Anything else?" Inuyasha snapped sarcastically, rolling his eyes again, knowing he couldn't be seen.

He knew his brother was baiting him, wanting to make him writhe and squirm like a pathetic little snake demon caught in his web. The disdainful name calling, the snobbish condescension, the brutal treatment; all of it was a harsh game Sesshomaru hadn't given up over the years.

"Yes actually," Sesshomaur's voice held the sound of a snarky, supercilious smile and Inuyasha bit the inside of his cheek to keep him from doing or saying anything in front of Mrs. Higurashi that he would regret later. "Quit rolling your eyes and just do what your told for once in your miserable life." With that last little dig said to the youngest brother, he hung up, leaving Inuyasha to actually snarl and fist his hand around his phone out of anger, nearly breaking the device.

"He is such a...Im gunna'...ugh!" Inuaysha huffed to himself, raking a hand through his hair out of frustration. "Why does he have to be such an a-"

"I'm going to take a wild shot into the dark and guess that you were just talking with a sibling?"

Inuyasha felt himself swing his body around, his eyes going wide as he realized she was still standing there. "Yep, my brother." His cheeks flushed and he started chuckling nervously, running a hand against the base of his neck anxiously. "Sorry you had to hear that. It's just he and I...aren't the closest." The words slipped from his lips like raindrops splattering against the pavement and he winced at the sound of them. What a lie _that _was. His brother and him close? Fat chance. All of it was actually quite laughable—the idea, the sheer _idea, _was so far from he truth that his words were almost painful.

Leaning up against the banister at the end of the staircase, she grinned wittingly. "I understand. My brother and I fought like cats and dogs for most of our lives." Her brow suddenly furrowed, a thoughtful look passing over her face. "Come to think of it, we still do."

Inuyasha smiled as he realized she was trying to make him feel better. "Thanks," he said honestly as he moved for the shrine steps.

"I expect to see you soon? Don't be a stranger!" She hollered.

"Knowing your sleepy daughter, I'll probably be carrying her home tomorrow as well!" He hollered back as he continued down the long stone staircase, smirking as he heard her resonating laughter.

* * *

**A/N:**

_Seeing as how I've been re-watching Sailor Moon and have started the 11th grade, its a small miracle I've found the time to published this chapter. I apologize for taking a little bit longer then expected. I was almost finished writing and then half of it got erased, erased, and guess what? it got erased again! So I'm only uploading about half of the original chapter which is over 13,000 words so its more then enough, I think. _

_Anyway, Im _**_so_**_ happy by all the wonderful reviews I received on the last chapter. You guys make my day when Im feeling crappy about my writing. Free virtual hugs to you all! I've even gotten some awesome new ideas thanks to some of you. I'll be using a few of them in my upcoming chapters. If you guys have any other ideas for me, feel free to message me and tell me about them. I love to hear from you guys._

_This chapter took a bigger turn then I expected and I pretty much put myself out of the way, so to speak. I wanted to write Ayame in here (if only briefly) but now her role might grow larger the longer I write this story. I'm looking forward to the next chapter as I'm going to be introducing one more character and then I'm done with all that and we can finally, _finally, _move forward and I won't have to bore you with lengthy chapters with long explanations._

_ I'm happy I've established some of my main goals for this story. Of course the most important ones I haven't written yet and you're just going to have to wait and discover what they are._

Next up:

Chapter 6. Moving Mountains.

_Have a wonderful weekend my darlings. _

_ So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehen, good night,  
I hate to go and leave this pretty sight.  
So long, fare- __ahhh, you get the rest ;) _

_-Smed_

**・・・・**


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